Israel’s Defence Minister has explicitly threatened to eliminate Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, accusing him of masterminding years of proxy attacks against Israel and declaring that his elimination is now a legitimate military objective.
The unprecedented statement, aired Thursday via Al Jazeera, follows an escalating cycle of violence triggered by Iran’s missile strike on Beersheba, which damaged Soroka Medical Center, one of Israel’s largest trauma facilities. The Israeli Defence Minister did not mince words: “A man like [Khamenei] has always aimed at destroying Israel through his agents… This man, who is willing to attack us, must not stay alive.”
Tensions between the two regional adversaries have surged dramatically in recent weeks. Israel has launched targeted strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and suspected military command centers, while Iran has responded with waves of missiles and drones, some intercepted and others hitting targets. The death toll from Israeli airstrikes has reportedly surpassed 240, including 70 women and children, according to Al Jazeera. Iran’s retaliatory attacks have left at least 24 Israelis dead.
In a move seen as both diplomatic and psychological warfare, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video message on June 17 aimed directly at the Iranian people, stating that his government’s military actions are not against them but against a regime that represses and endangers them. “The path to your freedom,” he said, “must begin with the end of this tyranny.”
Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump waded into the fray with a cryptic but chilling post on his Truth Social platform: “We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now… Our patience is wearing thin.” Trump’s remarks added fuel to speculation about U.S. involvement or potential coordination in Israel’s military calculus.
Ayatollah Khamenei has continued to accuse both Israel and the U.S. of warmongering, warning Washington earlier this week that any direct strikes on Iranian soil would result in “serious irreparable consequences.” Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has since been placed on high alert, with defensive systems mobilized across key sites in Tehran and Isfahan.
Middle East analysts are warning that this rhetoric marks a dangerous shift from shadow warfare to open declarations of targeted assassination, with regional consequences that could spiral into a full-blown war if not checked diplomatically.
