Iran’s supreme leader has been informed that he “cannot continue to exist,” as President Donald Trump warns that he knows “exactly where he’s hiding".
Tensions between Iran, Israel, and the US have taken another explosive turn as top officials trade threats, missiles strike nuclear facilities, and the world inches closer to a full-blown regional war.
Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, made headlines today with his bluntest statement yet, saying Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, “can no longer be allowed to exist," cited by BBC News.
Katz accused Khamenei of personally ordering an attack on a hospital in southern Israel during a wave of Iranian missile strikes targeting several Israeli cities.
“He considers the destruction of the state of Israel to be a goal. Such a man can no longer be allowed to exist,” Katz said, per Daily Mail.
He added that the IDF has been "instructed” accordingly and that “in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist," Sky News reported.
The IDF also released footage showing strikes on a nuclear reactor in Arak, Iran, believed to be capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium. The dramatic video shows explosions at the facility, which the Israeli military claims was being used to develop nuclear weapons.
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Meanwhile, President Donald Trump inserted himself into the chaos, posting a message on Truth Social warning that while Iran’s top cleric is currently safe, he’s far from forgotten.
“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there - we are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,” he wrote. “But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The post came just days after reports surfaced that the 79-year-old had vetoed an Israeli proposal to assassinate Khamenei. But the warnings haven’t stopped there.
Trump also hinted at potential strikes on Iran’s Fordo uranium enrichment site, a heavily fortified underground facility. Speaking to the press, the former president played coy: “I may do it, I may not do it.”
When pushed for clarity, he shrugged: “Nobody knows what I’m going to do," adding pointedly: “Unconditional surrender - that means I’ve had it.”
Iran’s response was defiant. Khamenei warned that any US military intervention would come at a steep price, declaring: “The Iranian nation will not surrender.”
Iran’s UN delegation also took a shot at Trump online, posting: “No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House. The only thing more despicable than his lies is his cowardly threat to 'take out' Iran’s Supreme Leader.
"Iran does NOT negotiate under duress, shall NOT accept peace under duress, and certainly NOT with a has-been warmonger clinging to relevance," the post continued. "Iran shall respond to any threat with a counter-threat, and to any action with reciprocal measures."
Meanwhile, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping have called for a diplomatic resolution, signaling growing global pressure to de-escalate the conflict, even as the rhetoric sharpens and military action ramps up.