Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday hinted that assassinating Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, could bring an end to the ongoing conflict between the two longstanding adversaries.
During a 20-minute interview with the US network ABC News, Netanyahu defended Israel’s harsh military actions aimed at “defanging” Iran, comparing Khamenei to a “modern Hitler.”
When questioned about reports that US President Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Khamenei, citing fears of escalating the Iran-Israel confrontation, Netanyahu dismissed such concerns. “This is not going to escalate the conflict; it’s going to end the conflict,” he asserted.
Netanyahu criticised Iran for seeking a “forever war” and said the Islamic Republic was pushing the world to the edge of nuclear catastrophe. “What Israel is doing is preventing this; we are ending this aggression by confronting the forces of evil,” he said.
He refrained from confirming whether Israel was actively targeting the ayatollah, stating only: “We’re doing what we need to do.”
As Israel continues its intense unprovoked strikes across Iran and faces missile retaliations, Netanyahu has adopted a firm and uncompromising stance.
To reach audiences in the United States—Israel’s closest ally—the prime minister has given extended interviews to American media outlets over consecutive days, portraying the conflict as a “battle of civilisation against barbarism.”
Netanyahu urged Americans to be alarmed by Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and its increasingly advanced ballistic missile arsenal.
“Today it’s Tel Aviv, tomorrow it’s New York,” Netanyahu warned ABC correspondent Jon Karl.
He launched scathing attacks on Khamenei, condemning his “anti-Semitic, mad fanaticism” and his support for proxy groups seeking to “snuff out the life” of Israel.
“He is like a modern Hitler. He simply will not stop, but we will ensure he lacks the means to carry out his threats.”
Defending Israel’s broad military campaign, Netanyahu argued that undermining Iran’s nuclear programme is crucial to “preventing the most horrific war imaginable” and ultimately “bringing peace to the Middle East.”
“That peace will be possible once Iran is defanged,” he concluded.
