Israel on Wednesday vowed to take out any leader appointed by Iran’s “terrorist regime” to continue spearheading threats and destruction plans against countries regarded as enemies.
While Masoud Pezeshkian remains the President, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been chosen by Iran’s Assembly of Experts as the new Supreme Leader.
Jerusalem declared that whoever leads the Islamic Republic and intimidates Israel, the United States, the Middle East, and oppresses the Iranian people “will be an unequivocal target for elimination.”
“It doesn’t matter what his name is or where he hides,” Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on X. “The Prime Minister and I have instructed the IDF to prepare and act with all means to accomplish the mission.”
The security chief said Israel will continue to work with American partners to crush Tehran’s capabilities and “create the conditions for the Iranian people to overthrow and replace it.”
The joint combat by Israel [Operation Roaring Lion] and the U.S. [Operation Epic Fury] was launched on February 28. The first round of bombing killed Ayatollah Khamenei and dozens of senior officials.
Iran has retaliated with strikes on several locations in Israel, Bahrain, Cyprus, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, including U.S. and British assets.
On Tuesday, the United Kingdom announced it is sending its HMS Dragon and attack choppers to the Eastern Mediterranean to boost British and allies’ defenses as the war escalates.
The positioning of the Type 45 destroyer, one of the most capable air defense warships in the world, will strengthen the UK’s ability to detect, track and destroy aerial threats, including drones.
London says the decision was taken in response to “Iran’s reckless attacks” on British interests in the region, as its troops continue to adapt to “the changing threats.”
Defense Secretary John Healey noted that the fighter copters “will be able to hunt and shoot down aerial threats, adding a powerful counter-drone capability to the region.”
The UK has bolstered its presence there in recent weeks. The warship and Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters, armed with Martlet drone-busting missiles, join F-35 jets, radar systems, and air defense.
The latest deployment came as British forces downed drones across the Middle East since Monday. RAF F-35B jets struck UAVs over Jordan and in Iraqi airspace as they headed towards Coalition forces.
In another action, an RAF Typhoon operating with the joint UK-Qatar 12 Squadron shot down an Iranian one-way attack drone directed at Qatar using an air-to-air missile.
An update on Iran released on Tuesday by the U.S. Central Command shows that nearly 2,000 targets have been hit and 17 naval vessels destroyed, including the country’s most operational submarine.
