Netanyahu suggests killing Iran’s supreme leader would end conflict, Trump calls for Tehran population to ‘immediately evacuate’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, June 16, did not rule out plans to assassinate Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying it would “end the conflict” between the two arch-foes.

In a 20-minute interview with US network ABC News, the Israeli leader insisted his country’s deadly aggression to “defang” Iran was justified, and equated Khamenei to a “modern Hitler.” But when asked about reports that US President Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to kill the supreme leader out of concern it would escalate the Iran-Israel showdown, Netanyahu was dismissive.

“It’s not going to escalate the conflict, it’s going to end the conflict,” he said. “The ‘forever war’ is what Iran wants, and they’re bringing us to the brink of nuclear war,” Netanyahu said. “In fact, what Israel is doing is preventing this, bringing an end to this aggression, and we can only do so by standing up to the forces of evil.” Netanyahu did not reveal whether or not Israel was targeting the ayatollah, saying only: “We’re doing what we need to do.”

As Israel unleashes its punishing strikes across Iran and the Islamic republic punches back with volleys of missiles, Netanyahu has maintained an aggressive posture. In a bid to communicate with citizens of his country’s chief ally, the prime minister has sat for lengthy American media interviews twice in as many days, framing Israel’s conflict with Iran as “a battle of civilization against barbarism.”

Americans, he stressed Monday, should be deeply concerned both about Tehran’s efforts to acquire a nuclear weapon and its increasingly muscular ballistic missile capability. “Today it’s Tel Aviv, tomorrow it’s New York,” Netanyahu told ABC correspondent Jon Karl. Netanyahu unleashed fierce criticism of Khamenei, blasting his “anti-Semitic, mad fanaticism” and his backing of proxy attacks meant to “snuff out the life” of Israel. “He’s like a modern Hitler. He just will not stop, but we’re going to make sure that he doesn’t have the means to carry out his threats.”

In defending Israel’s sweeping attacks, Netanyahu said setting back Iran’s nuclear program is “preventing the most horrific war imaginable and… bringing peace to the Middle East. That will be possible if Iran is defanged,” he added.

‘What a shame’

Also on Monday, Trump posted on his Truth Social account: “Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”

Trump did not elaborate. Nearly 10 million people live in the Iranian capital. The warning comes as Israel ramps up attacks in Iran which it says are aimed at destroying the cleric-run state’s contested nuclear work.

The Israeli military earlier issued a notice urging residents of one district of Tehran to evacuate, an echo of its tactics in Gaza where it has displaced most of the Palestinian population since the October 7, 2023 attacks.

Trump has repeatedly declined to say if the United States would participate in Israeli military action, although he says it was not involved in initial strikes. He earlier told reporters at the G7 summit, which ends Tuesday: “As soon as I leave here, we’re going to be doing something. But I have to leave here.”