Israel has warned that whoever succeeds Iran’s late Supreme Leader will be considered “a target for elimination,” in a sharp escalation of rhetoric amid the ongoing conflict between the two nations.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that any individual appointed by Tehran to lead the country would face direct military targeting.
“Any leader appointed by the Iranian regime will be an unequivocal target for elimination,” Katz said in a statement.
He added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to prepare and use all available means to carry out the directive.
The statement comes amid reports from Iranian local media that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has been named as his successor.
Tehran has not formally confirmed the appointment.
On Tuesday, Israeli forces struck a building linked to Iran’s Assembly of Experts, the clerical body responsible for selecting and overseeing the country’s Supreme Leader.
The latest developments signal a deepening confrontation between Israel and Iran, raising fears of further escalation as leadership uncertainty grips Tehran following the death of Ali Khamenei in recent airstrikes.
International observers have expressed concern that direct threats against Iran’s future leadership could widen the conflict beyond its current scope.
