Israel Issues Strongest Direct Threat to Iran’s Supreme Leader

Israeli defense minister Israel Katz said Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “cannot continue to exist” in the strongest direct threat yet.

“A dictator like Khamenei, who heads a country like Iran and has made the destruction of Israel his mission, cannot continue to exist,” Katz said, according to The Associated Press.

“The IDF has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist.”

Katz’s remarks follow Iranian strikes on Israel that hit residential areas and a hospital.

Iran said it was targeting IDF intelligence and communications buildings nearby.

U.S. President Donald Trump has approved plans to strike Iran and join Israel’s multi-day operation.

But Trump is withholding the final order to see if Tehran is willing to abandon its nuclear program and avoid such a fate.

Israel has been striking Iranian military and nuclear sites since Friday, June 13, under Operation Rising Lion.

It said it had to act to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Israel accuses Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapon and of harboring genocidal intentions towards it.

But Iran, which has retaliated against Israel with waves of missile and drone attacks, says its nuclear program is for civilian energy purposes.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.