Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said that “no one is immune” in Iran, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following a direct Iranian missile strike on Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva earlier in the day.
Touring the damaged hospital facility, Netanyahu told reporters that all options remain on the table and that Israel would respond with force if necessary. “No one is immune,” the premier said. “All the options are open.”
While Netanyahu avoided giving explicit details, he acknowledged that the possibility of striking Iran’s top leadership is not off the table. “It’s best not to speak about this in the press,” he added.
The remarks mark a shift in tone from Netanyahu, who has typically maintained strategic ambiguity about Israel’s intentions regarding high-profile Iranian figures. In contrast, Defence Minister Israel Katz has taken a more direct line, publicly calling for the elimination of Khamenei earlier this week and comparing him to a “modern Hitler.”
Speaking alongside medical personnel at Soroka Hospital, which sustained considerable damage during the Iranian missile barrage, Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s resolve. “At the end of this operation, there will be no nuclear threat on Israel, and there won’t be a ballistic threat,” he said.
Referring to the broader geopolitical implications, Netanyahu said U.S. involvement in the conflict would remain a sovereign decision for Washington. “That’s a decision for President Trump,” he said. “He will do what is good for America, and I will do what’s good for Israel. He knows the game.”
Netanyahu’s comments came hours after an unprecedented missile assault launched from Iranian territory hit several sites across Israel, with Soroka Medical Center suffering a direct impact. At least 50 people were injured across multiple locations, and emergency crews continued operations into the night.
In an emotional note, Netanyahu also disclosed that the war had taken a personal toll. “All of us are paying a personal price,” he said, revealing that his son had cancelled a planned wedding due to the ongoing conflict.
Iran’s powerful Guardian Council issues sharp warning
Meanwhile, in Tehran, Iran’s powerful Guardian Council issued a sharp warning in response to growing threats from Israeli officials. In a statement, the Council urged the United States to avoid supporting any attempt to target Khamenei.
“If Trump thinks of attacking, such a storm will arise that will destroy everyone,” the statement warned. The Council accused the Israeli leadership of pushing the region toward a dangerous escalation and said any direct action against the Supreme Leader would trigger consequences “beyond imagination.”
Israel’s Katz calls for Khamenei’s killing after latest Iranian missile barrage
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz on Thursday compared Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to a “modern Hitler” and said he “can no longer be allowed to exist”, after a major Iranian missile barrage struck several Israeli cities, including a direct hit on Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva.
The latest escalation marks a significant turning point in the ongoing conflict, with both sides trading accusations and stepping up retaliatory actions.
Standing at a missile impact site in Holon, near Tel Aviv, Katz said, “Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed — he personally gives the order to fire on hospitals. Such a man can no longer be allowed to exist.”
His comments followed one of the heaviest missile barrages in recent days, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reporting that between 20 and 30 ballistic missiles were launched from Iranian territory around 7:03am Thursday morning. At least seven confirmed impact sites were reported, including three in the Gush Dan region and one directly hitting Soroka Hospital.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the strikes, vowing harsh retaliation. “This morning, Iran’s terrorist dictators fired missiles at Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva and at civilians in the centre of the country,” he said in a post on X. “We will make the tyrants in Tehran pay a heavy price.”
