WEBDESK: As hostilities between Iran and Israel stretch into a fifth day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made headlines after he refused to rule out assassinating Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In a striking interview, he likened Khamenei to “a modern Hitler” and suggested such a move would not inflame tensions, but “end the conflict.” Netanyahu stated: “It’s not going to escalate the conflict, it’s going to end the conflict.”
When asked directly if Israel was targeting Khamenei, the Israeli leader replied: “We’re doing what we need to do.” He defended Israel’s aggressive operations as essential to stopping Iran’s nuclear ambitions, saying: “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.”
Meanwhile, other significant developments are unfolding. Donald Trump has issued a stark message, urging people to leave Tehran immediately. In a post shared on Truth Social, the US president said: “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran.”
Trump criticised Iran for not signing a nuclear agreement with the US before the situation worsened. “Iran should have signed the deal I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life,” he wrote. Repeating his long-held stance, Trump added: “Stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again!”
Yassamin Ansari, who made history last year as the second Iranian-American elected to the US House of Representatives, has strongly criticised President Trump’s call for people to evacuate Tehran.
She called the remarks “callous and horrifying.” Posting on X, Ansari pointed out that “Tehran is a massive city of nearly 10 million,” and stressed that while the Iranian people deserve freedom, Trump’s warning could lead to major loss of life.
Both of my parents fled Iran so this is personal. Trump's words are callous and horrifying.
— Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (@RepYassAnsari) June 16, 2025
Tehran is a massive city of nearly 10 million. Iranian people deserve freedom but Trump’s threat of murdering innocent civilians, a mass casualty event, or another endless war is not the… pic.twitter.com/lQLBBYNaaR
Israel has also continued to ramp up its military actions, focusing on Iran’s nuclear programme. In a move similar to its previous tactics in Gaza, where the majority of the population has been displaced since the October 7 attacks, the Israeli military reportedly issued a warning urging residents in one area of Tehran to evacuate.
Yesterday, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a strong warning to Iran, threatening the civilians, following deadly overnight missile attacks that had left at least five people dead and many others injured in Israel.
In a message posted on his Telegram channel, Katz said the people of Tehran would “pay the price – and soon” for the strikes that had targeted civilians.
Katz also took aim at Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling him “the boastful dictator from Tehran” who had become “a cowardly murderer” by ordering attacks on Israel’s civilian population.
He said the strikes were aimed at discouraging the Israeli military from continuing its campaign, which he claimed was severely weakening Iran’s abilities.
Tensions continue to rise as the world watches closely, fearing that any miscalculation could draw in more global powers and take the Middle East further toward full-scale war.
Read more: New Iran Attack: Casualties, Damage in Haifa
