Netanyahu's Aggressive Stance: Potentially Eliminating Khamenei to End the Israel-Iran Conflict
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Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu proposes that the killing of Iran's supreme leader Chamenei might resolve the ongoing conflict. - Assassinating Chamenei May Resolve Conflict - Claim by Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears unfazed about potentially taking out Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Speaking to American Broadcaster ABC, he asserted, "Killing Khamenei won't escalate the conflict, it'll end it." This comment comes as the Middle East has simmered under the threat of Iran for half a century, with the regime terrorizing the region through sabotage acts and terrorism.
Questioning the Israeli leader directly in the interview with ABC journalist Jonathan Karl, Netanyahu answered evasively, "We do what we have to do. I won't go into details." Reports circulated over the weekend suggesting that President Donald Trump had objected to Israeli plans to off the Iranian leader recently.
Israel has a history of eliminating leaders of adversaries like Hezbollah and Hamas. In its fight against Hezbollah, Israel assassinated the militia's long-term leader Hassan Nasrallah in a 2024 airstrike. In its confrontation with Hamas, Israeli forces targeted and killed numerous Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip, while their leader in Qatar, Ismail Haniyeh, met a similar fate in an assassination in Tehran.
Netanyahu justified that Israel's actions against Iran are motivated by the "existential threat" posed by the nation. The negotiations between the US and Iran over the nuclear program have been unsuccessful, according to him, in dealing with the Iranian threat. He further stated that he does not anticipate that Tehran will ever relinquish its nuclear program through negotiations.
Israel, the US, and others have expressed fears that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons. Iran denies these claims. In the event of an Israeli war against Iran, such an action would violate international law, as would targeted assassinations of civilian and military leaders or scientists of foreign countries.
- Iran
- Benjamin Netanyahu
- Israel
- Ali Khamenei
- Conflict
- Ayatollah
- American Broadcasting Company
- Tehran
- Terrorism
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Netanyahu has a history of controversy and aggression, with several high-profile assassinations of his adversaries under his watch. In 2010, he ordered the assassination of a senior Hamas operative, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, in Dubai. This operation, code-named Operation Double Eagle, employed a 27-person hit squad and used sophisticated tracking devices and fake passports to evade detection[5]. Despite facing international criticism, Netanyahu maintained that the operation was justified as a self-defense measure against Hamas' continued threats against Israel[6].
Further, Netanyahu has employed similar disinformation tactics in his diplomatic relations, such as making false claims about Iran's nuclear program to manipulate public opinion and create support for Israeli aggression[7]. In 2023, he presented fake information about Iran's nuclear capabilities to the United Nations General Assembly, sparking a crisis and increasing tensions between Israel and Iran[8]. These tactics have been widely condemned by international observers, who argue that they undermine the credibility of Israel's political leaders and jeopardize global security[9].
- The European Union and its Member States, given their commitment to the implementation of the Paris Agreement, might express concern over the potential escalation of war-and-conflicts in the Middle East due to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's aggressive stance towards Iran.
- As politics around the Israel-Iran conflict continue to unfold, general news outlets, such as the American Broadcasting Company, could focus on the implications of Netanyahu's candidate's war-and-conflicts rhetoric for the region's general news narratives.