by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told ABC News that assassinating Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei would not intensify the conflict between Israel and Iran, but would instead bring it to an end.
“It’s not going to escalate the conflict; it’s going to end the conflict,” Netanyahu said in an interview with ABC’s Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl. His remarks responded to reports that President Donald Trump had vetoed proposals to assassinate Khamenei during his previous term, fearing the move would spark a broader war.
Netanyahu argued that Iran’s regime has fueled regional instability for decades. “We’ve had half a century of conflict spread by this regime that terrorizes everyone in the Middle East; has bombed the Aramco oil fields in Saudi Arabia; is spreading terrorism and subversion and sabotage everywhere,” he said.
“The ‘forever war’ is what Iran wants, and they’re bringing us to the brink of nuclear war. 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.”
When asked if Israel was planning to assassinate Khamenei, Netanyahu declined to provide specifics. “We’re doing what we need to do,” he said, noting that Israel has already eliminated key figures in Iran’s nuclear program. “We’ve targeted their top nuclear scientists. It’s basically Hitler’s nuclear team.”
He stressed that Iran’s nuclear ambitions threaten not only Israel but the United States. “Today, it’s Tel Aviv. Tomorrow, it’s New York. I understand ‘America First’. I don’t understand ‘America Dead.’ That’s what these people want. They chant ‘Death to America.'”
Netanyahu praised President Trump’s stance on Iran. “We’re doing something that is in the service of mankind, of humanity, and it’s a battle of good against evil. America does, should, and does stand with the good. That’s what President Trump is doing, and I deeply appreciate his support.”
He also rejected reports, including one from The Wall Street Journal, that Iran is seeking a diplomatic solution. “They want to continue to have these fake talks in which they lie, they cheat, they string the U.S. along. And we have very solid intel on that,” Netanyahu said. “They want to keep on building their nuclear weapons and their mass ballistic missile arsenal, which they’re firing at our people. They want to continue to create the two existential threats against Israel while they’re talking. That’s not going to happen.”
In a separate interview with Iranian opposition media outlet Iran International, Netanyahu delivered a stirring message to the people of Iran:
“A torch has been lit — carry it to freedom. This is the time. Your hour of freedom is near — it’s happening now. I believe in you. I respect you. I admire you. I know your achievements. I know your potential. I know that Iran can be great again. It was a great civilization, and this theological thuggery that has kidnapped your country will not stand for long. You are the future, not them.”
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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