[By Guancha Observer Network, Liu Chenghui] Just a few days ago, the Israeli side emphasized that it would not target Iran's political leadership. However, during an interview with ABC on June 16, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu openly threatened that Israel did not rule out taking action against Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei. He claimed that such actions would end the conflict between Israel and Iran instead of escalating it.

Reuters previously reported, citing US officials, that US President Trump vetoed the plan proposed by Israel to kill Khamenei.

In response to this news in the program, Netanyahu insisted that killing Khamenei "would not escalate the conflict but end it."

"We have been in conflict with this regime that intimidates everyone in the Middle East for half a century; they bombed Saudi Aramco oil fields; they create terrorism, subversion, and sabotage everywhere," Netanyahu said. "'Permanent war' is exactly what Iran wants; they are pushing us toward the brink of nuclear war. In fact, what Israel is doing is to prevent all of this, to end this aggression, and we can only achieve this by confronting evil forces."

When asked whether Israel would target Khamenei, Netanyahu said that Israel was "doing what we need to do." "I won't reveal details, but we have already taken action against their top nuclear scientists."

Regarding whether there were disagreements with Trump over "removing" Khamenei, Netanyahu responded, "I won't jump to conclusions."

Netanyahu accepting ABC interview

Israeli National Security Advisor Cahi Hanegbi said on the 13th that Israel currently had no plans to attack Iran's political leadership.

Hanegbi told Israel's Channel 12 that regarding Iran's Supreme Leader "Khamenei and his people... there is currently no plan to kill them."

Netanyahu then "scared" the United States, saying that as Israel sought to eliminate Iran's nuclear program, American support for Israel was in America's interest.

"Today it’s Tel Aviv, tomorrow it’s New York. Listen, I understand 'America First,' but I don’t understand 'America灭亡.' That’s what these people want."

"They shout 'America go die.' What we are doing is serving humanity; it's a battle between justice and evil. America indeed, should, and is standing on the side of justice, that's what President Trump is doing, and I am deeply grateful for his support."

Netanyahu also refuted a report from The Wall Street Journal, which stated that Iran had urgently expressed a desire to end hostilities and restart nuclear negotiations.

"I'm not surprised. I mean, they want to continue these false negotiations, lying, deceiving, and delaying the United States in negotiations. And you know, we have very reliable intelligence showing that they want to continue making nuclear weapons, building large ballistic missile arsenals, and launching attacks on our people. They want to continue posing two survival threats to Israel while negotiating, and this cannot be allowed to continue."

When asked about some Republicans who oppose American help in attacking Iran, Netanyahu called them not only "short-sighted" but also "completely blind." Iran is "a threat to the entire world."

"We are not just fighting our enemies but also yours... They shout 'Israel go die, America go die.' We are just their stepping stones, and this will soon affect America."

When asked if he would agree to stop bombing Iran and restart diplomatic negotiations if Trump requested it, Netanyahu said that Iran not having nuclear weapons was a principle in Trump's negotiations, and to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, Iran must not obtain enriched uranium, as it is essential material for making nuclear weapons.

The day before, Netanyahu gave his first interview since the current round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict began. He told Fox News that Israel's military strikes on Iran could lead to a change in the Iranian regime, and Israel would spare no effort to eliminate the "survival threat" posed by Iran. He said that although the current goal of the Israeli army was to eliminate Iran's missile and nuclear threats, regime change "could certainly become a result," because the Iranian regime was "very fragile."

Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei Visual China

Netanyahu said that Israel faced an "imminent threat of nuclear destruction," and at such a "last moment," there was no choice but to take radical actions.

Netanyahu also stated that Israel was not only protecting itself but also the world, as Iran intended to transfer nuclear weapons to Houthi rebels and had once planned to assassinate US President Trump.

"The Iranians also intend to transfer nuclear weapons to the Houthi rebels. Our intelligence shows that they have begun developing intercontinental ballistic missiles with ranges capable of reaching the United States," he said.

The US State Department issued a new travel warning on the 16th, listing all of Israel and the West Bank as "Level Four: Do Not Travel," which is the highest risk level.

Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif strongly condemned Israel's attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities, military bases, and civilian areas on the 15th when meeting with ambassadors, diplomatic mission heads, and international organization representatives in Tehran, calling it an "aggression seriously violating international law" that threatens global peace.

He said that Israel's continuous attacks on Iran "cannot happen without the tacit approval and support of the United States."

He appealed to the international community to condemn Israel's attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities. "This may be the last red line crossed by the Israeli regime in international law. If the international community remains indifferent, it will have far-reaching impacts on all countries."

On the evening of the 16th local time, foreign ministers from 21 Arab and Islamic countries including Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Pakistan, Bahrain, Turkey, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait issued a joint statement condemning Israel's attacks on Iran, which exacerbated tensions in the Middle East.

The statement emphasized that "Israel must stop its hostile actions against Iran, work to ease tensions, achieve a ceasefire, and achieve comprehensive peace."

This article is an exclusive contribution by the Guancha Observer Network. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7516735945127871002/

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