Exclusive: What Was The Urgency To Eliminate Khamenei? Israeli Minister Replies

The urgency to eliminate Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stems from an "existential threat" from the nuclear and missile programs being developed by the Iranian regime, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has said. It was more dangerous not to act rather than to act in this situation, Sa'ar told NDTV, two days after Ayatollah Khamenei was killed in a joint US and Israeli airstrike in Tehran as part of 'Operation Epic Fury.'

When pointed out that negotiations were already underway with Iran, the Israeli leader said that the US concluded that Tehran was wasting time and not meeting the American red lines with regard to their ballistic missile program.

Read: "Dangerous Iran Wasting Time Over US Nuclear Deadlines": Israel Minister To NDTV

"So, we knew that within a very short time, Iran was going to put all its nuclear program in a very deep underground installation, where Israel and America cannot hit effectively from the air. They plan to do the same thing with ballistic missile production," said Sa'ar.

That would have given Iran immunity to do whatever they want, he argued, justifying the Saturday morning strikes.

He also described the Iranian regime as "extremely dangerous" that did not just hit Israeli civilian population but also struck other Arab countries without any provocation and "butchered their own people during the last protest."

"And of course, for us, it's an existential threat," said Sa'ar. "Therefore, since we thought time is of essence...we took into consideration the expectations of the Iranian people that fought bravely for the freedom but reasonably cannot achieve it without any help from outside. So, this is why we decided with our American friends, that we must act."

"There are, of course, complications that might happen, but it's more dangerous not to act rather than to act in this situation," Sa'ar added.

Read: Why India Has Not Condemned Khamenei's Death

Khamenei's death has left a void in the Iranian power structure, besides leaving the top position empty for millions of Shiite Muslims across the world. But the assassination does not immediately translate into victory.

Saa'ar said a few dozen heads of the regime have been eliminated, but they remain in control and are deploying across cities to prevent any public protest.

He also remained non-committal about the identity of a possible civilian Iranian leader, suggesting that the Iranian people must choose their next leader within a fair and free election process, which Sa'ar believes is not possible as long as the current regime remains as powerful.

The US and Israel commence Op Epic Fury on Saturday morning with aerial strikes over Iran, including on a secure compound in Tehran where Khamenei was present. Iran retaliated with all its might, as missiles crisscrossed over the Gulf skyline, resulting in explosions in Arab cities such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Manama. The operation has entered Day 3 and is ongoing.