Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that striking Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would not escalate the conflict in the Middle East but instead bring it to an end.
Netanyahu made the controversial remarks during an interview with ABC News on Monday, saying that previous U.S. concerns about targeting Iran's leadership were misplaced.
"It’s not going to escalate the conflict, it’s going to end the conflict," he said, alluding to reports that former U.S. President Donald Trump had rejected similar suggestions out of fear of provoking further instability.
The Israeli leader blamed Tehran for decades of unrest, stating, "We’ve had half a century of conflict spread by this regime that terrorises everyone in the Middle East… What Israel is doing is preventing this, bringing an end to this aggression."
When asked if Israel would directly target Ayatollah Khamenei, Netanyahu responded cryptically, "I’m not going to get into the details, but we’ve targeted their top nuclear scientists. It’s basically Hitler’s nuclear team."
The interview comes amid escalating violence between the two regional rivals. On Monday, Iran fired another round of missiles at northern Israel, triggering air raid sirens throughout the region.
In retaliation, Iranian state media warned of what it described as "the largest and most intense missile attack in history on Israeli soil."
As tensions soar, Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to defending its sovereignty: "We can only do so by standing up to the forces of evil. We’re doing what we need to do."
The global community watches closely as fears of a broader regional war loom over the already volatile Middle East.