Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, has issued a grave statement declaring that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “can no longer be allowed to exist,” following a deadly missile attack that struck near Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.
Speaking to reporters in Holon, just outside Tel Aviv, Katz condemned Khamenei’s actions and rhetoric, saying: “A dictator like Khamenei, who openly calls for Israel’s destruction, cannot be allowed to continue to exist. He cannot be allowed to survive.”
Katz accused Khamenei of personally ordering strikes that endangered civilian lives.
“Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed. He gives direct orders to target hospitals. He sees the annihilation of the State of Israel as a legitimate goal. Such a man can no longer be allowed to exist,” he said.
The comments come after an Iranian missile barrage struck the area surrounding Soroka Hospital, prompting outrage in Israel and raising fears of a further escalation in the ongoing conflict.
Iranian state media, however, claimed the intended target was a military installation located adjacent to the hospital, not the hospital itself.
Khamenei, in response to the escalating threats, posted on X (formerly Twitter), urging Iranians to remain defiant:
“If the enemy senses that you fear them, they won’t let go of you. Continue with the strength and determination you have always shown,” he wrote.
In a separate post, the Iranian leader criticized U.S. involvement in the conflict, claiming it was a sign of Israeli weakness:
“The very fact that the Zionist regime’s American friends have entered the scene and are making such statements is a sign of that regime’s weakness and inability.”
The exchange marks a significant intensification in rhetoric between both nations’ top officials, amid fears that the Israel-Iran conflict could spiral into a broader regional or even global confrontation.
