A senior Israeli diplomatic official said Wednesday that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is alive, but expressed uncertainty over whether he is personally making the regime’s decisions, according to a report by Walla.

The official described Iran as being severely weakened and deterred by the possibility of another direct Israeli strike, while stressing that the regime continues to pose a significant threat.

“There is a degree of deterrence on their part toward us,” the official said. “Until now, they have not attacked us directly, but rather elsewhere in the region, including in Jordan. They understand that a direct front against Israel would be met with a very powerful response.”

The official said Israel’s goal remains the complete termination of Iran’s nuclear program. He said the elimination of approximately 20 nuclear scientists removed a critical concentration of expertise, while Israeli strikes also targeted conversion equipment, centrifuges and other nuclear infrastructure.

According to the official, Israel also destroyed Iran’s ballistic-missile production base, leaving the regime with an estimated arsenal of only 1,500 to 1,600 missiles.

However, he acknowledged that Iran’s nuclear program was not completely destroyed.

“The objective is to determine how to bring the nuclear program to an end,” the official said, adding that Israel had pushed the program backward, “but not forever.”

The official said centrifuges are currently being used to enrich uranium at Iran’s deeply fortified underground facility known as Pickaxe Mountain. He warned that Israel would not hesitate to act again against attempts to rebuild either Iran’s nuclear program or its ballistic-missile capabilities.

“If necessary, we will not hesitate to act against the hardware and the proxies,” he said. “There will be no acceptance of aggression or of the nuclear program.”

Addressing Iran’s internal situation, the official said disagreements are taking place between officials concerned about economic collapse and hardline elements within the regime.

Regarding Mojtaba Khamenei, the official said, “He is alive, but it is difficult to assess whether he is the one actually making the decisions.”

He added that aside from closing the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian regime has very few remaining cards to play. While the country’s economic damage is directly affecting the supply of basic goods to the population, the official said it remains doubtful that the pressure alone would bring down the regime.

The official also discussed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent meetings with senior Trump administration officials, including U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Vice President JD Vance.

Responding to a question from Walla about Netanyahu’s meeting with Vance, the official said the prime minister had requested the meeting. He described it as a “frank conversation,” held against the backdrop of Vance’s criticism of Netanyahu and the governing coalition.

President Trump, meanwhile, again raised Netanyahu’s ongoing trial on his own initiative, the official said.

Regarding discussions with Trump, the official stressed that the president did not issue orders or dictates to Israel, but that the sides exchanged assessments.

“There are assessments about where the president is heading, but things change,” the official said. “Both sides understand that, without the Iranian people having the physical ability to defend themselves against the regime, their ability to create change from within is limited, and other means must be found.”

The official said Netanyahu used maps during his meeting with Trump to demonstrate that Israel controls only a very small portion of Syrian territory compared with Turkey, as part of an effort to prevent demands for an Israeli withdrawal.

Netanyahu presented figures showing that Turkey controls approximately 5% of Syrian territory, while Israel controls only around 0.1%, according to the official.

He said Israel’s presence is intended to protect against threats from Iran, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and other terrorist organizations.

“Sometimes the president has certain assumptions, and unless you change them, they become fixed,” the official said, explaining why Netanyahu chose to present the information visually.

The official stressed that Syria was not the central focus of the meeting, but rather an introduction to the main subject: Iran.

Turning to Judea and Samaria, the official expressed concern over a recent rise in terrorism following a significant previous decline.

“We are considering taking action against the remaining centers in the refugee camps,” he said. “The prime minister asked the defense establishment to prepare an operational plan on the matter.”

The official also said that Palestinian Authority tax revenues will remain frozen for the time being.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)