Netanyahu suggests killing Iran’s supreme leader would end conflict

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested Monday that assassinating Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would “end the conflict” between the two arch-foes.

“It’s not going to escalate the conflict, it’s going to end the conflict,” Netanyahu told ABC News in an interview when asked about reports that US President Donald Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to kill the supreme leader out of concern it would intensify the Iran-Israel showdown.

“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.”

Earlier in the day, an Iranian missile struck an oil refinery in Israel’s coast city of Haifa on Sunday, killing three people, an Israeli official said after a gag order was lifted.

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The confirmation on Monday removed reporting restrictions imposed by Israel’s military censorship on the attack, part of the most intense confrontation in history between longtime foes Iran and Israel.

Thick black smoke could be seen rising from the the sprawling complex early Monday, according to an AFP journalist.

Iran has been launching nightly barrages targeting Israel, with some missiles evading the country’s sophisticated air defence batteries.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said later in the night (Sunday) that Iranian forces will “pummel” Israel until the attacks against the Islamic republic stop.

“Our powerful Armed Forces are making clear to the world that the war criminals hiding in shelters in Tel Aviv will not go unpunished for their crimes,” said Araghchi in a post on X. “We will continue to pummel the cowards for as long as needed to make sure that they are no longer firing at our people,” he added.