By Kavita Mistry 
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday (June 19, 2025) that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, “cannot continue to exist”.
Mr. Katz spoke after the latest wave of Iranian missiles struck a hospital and wounded at least 40 people.
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“A dictator like Khamenei, who heads a country like Iran and has made the destruction of Israel his mission, cannot continue to exist,” Mr. Katz said.
“The IDF has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist.”
U.S. officials said this week that President Donald Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Khamenei. Mr. Trump later said there were no plans to kill him “at least not for now”.
Published – June 19, 2025 04:07 pm IST