Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Wednesday urged forceful action against the Jewish state, even as the Israeli Air Force continued to operate freely over the skies of Tehran and decimate the city’s military hierarchy.
“We must act forcefully against the Zionist terrorist entity. We will not be merciful toward the Zionists,” Khamenei wrote in a Hebrew-language post on X.
יש לפעול בעוצמה נגד הישות הציונית הטרוריסטית.
לא ננהג בסלחנות כלפי הציונים.— Khamenei.ir Hebrew (@Khamenei_Heb) June 18, 2025
Last week, immediately after Israel launched “Operation Rising Lion” to roll back Iran’s nuclear program, Khamenei tweeted in Hebrew: “This grave mistake will make the Zionist entity miserable and turn its life into misery.”
הטעות החמורה הזו תהפוך את הישות הציונית לאומללה ותמיר את חייה למרים.
— Khamenei.ir Hebrew (@Khamenei_Heb) June 13, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media on Tuesday that Washington knows “exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding,” but that he was safe for the time being.
“He is an easy target, but he is safe there—we are not going to take him out (kill!) at least for now,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “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!”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told ABC News on Monday night that eliminating Khamenei would not escalate but rather end the conflict between Tehran and Jerusalem.
Pressed on the issue, the prime minister told ABC that Jerusalem was “doing what we need to do” to address the threat posed by Tehran.