Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a veiled threat against Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, as Israel’s war with Iran enters its second week.
Speaking at his first press conference since the conflict began, the Israeli prime minister suggested that no senior figure in Iran’s leadership should feel safe, even as he admitted that Israel’s joint military campaign with the United States might not immediately topple Tehran’s government.
Standing between two Israeli flags and answering questions via video link, Netanyahu was asked about possible action against Mojtaba Khamenei and Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem.
“I wouldn’t issue life insurance policies on any of the leaders of the terrorist organisation,” Netanyahu said, declining to reveal Israel’s military plans.
The remarks come as Israel continues a sustained air campaign against Iran, launched after Israeli forces killed Iran’s former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, at the start of the war.
Netanyahu said Iran had been severely weakened after nearly two weeks of bombardment, with major damage inflicted on the country’s elite security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij paramilitary.
He also vowed that Israel would continue targeting the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, which opened fire on Israel on March 2 in retaliation for the killing of Ali Khamenei.
As Netanyahu spoke, air raid sirens warning of incoming missiles from Iran sounded across central Israel, underscoring the escalating nature of the conflict.
Israel says its military campaign aims to eliminate what it sees as an existential threat posed by Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. Israeli officials also hope the pressure of the war could weaken the ruling clerical establishment in Tehran.
However, despite widespread anger against the Iranian leadership, there has been little sign of organised protests since the fighting began.
Netanyahu acknowledged that regime change ultimately depends on internal forces within Iran.
“A regime is toppled from the inside,” he said. “But we can definitely help, and we are helping.”
Even if Iran’s government survives the conflict, Netanyahu argued that it will emerge significantly weakened.
