Israeli PM Netanyahu Hints at Eliminating Iran's Supreme Leader

• Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that his country has not ruled out the option of assassinating Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
• Netanyahu made the comment while responding to the report that US President Donald Trump rejected the move to kill Ali Khamenei in the ongoing war
• The Israeli prime minister explained that killing Ali Khamenei would not escalate the war, but would rather end it

Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, has claimed that assassinating Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, would not escalate the ongoing war between the two countries, which reached a peak last week.

Netanyahu stated this in an interview with ABC News, while responding to a question about reports that former US President Donald Trump had rejected a plan to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader, arguing it would escalate the conflict.

However, Netanyahu said:

"It's not going to escalate the conflict; it's going to end the conflict."

"We've had half a century of conflict spread by this regime that terrorises everyone in the Middle East; has bombed the Aramco oil fields in Saudi Arabia; is spreading terrorism and subversion, and sabotage everywhere."

Israel accuses Iran of waging war

The prime minister claimed that Iran seeks to prolong the war indefinitely and is driving the region towards the brink of nuclear conflict. He emphasised that Israel had made efforts to avoid war but was compelled to act in response to Iran’s aggression, adding that the country must stand firm against what he described as “evil forces.”

When he was asked if Israel would indeed target Ali Khamenei, the Israeli prime minister said that his country was "doing what we need to do."

Israel and Iran renewed their nuclear war when the former attacked the Iranian nuclear facilities and military sites on Friday morning, June 13, 2025. During the attacks, top Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists were assassinated.

Major military conflict escalates in Middle East

The development has led to fears of a major military conflict in the Middle East, and Tehran promised a "harsh response". The authority also declared the assassination of Mohammad Bagheri and Hossein Salami, the army chief and Revolutionary Guards head.

The attacks, which happened in the early hours of Friday, June 13, claimed the life of the army chief who has led the country's military since 2016. He was said to be the architect of Iran's ballistic missile programme. Major-General Gholamali Rashid, the commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, also died in the attack.

On the other hand, Salami was a major figure in the leadership of Iran's military. He was one of the prominent commanders of the Revolutionary Guard Corps (or IRGC). Others who were killed in the attack are nuclear scientists Ahmad Reza Zolfaqar, Fereydoun Abbasi, and Mohammad Mahdi.

Israel vows to launch attacks on Iran

Legit.ng earlier reported that Israel vowed that Iran would hear from its forces after Iranian drones and missiles attacked its territory.

An official of the Israeli authority disclosed the plan, adding that Tel Aviv had yet to determine which measure to take in its retaliation.

In a counterattack, Iran confirmed the launching of over 300 drones and missiles on Israeli territory during the night.

Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng