Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said his US counterpart Pete Hegseth assured him of Washington's firm backing for their joint military campaign against Iran and urged him to continue the operation "to the end.”
"The Secretary of Defense said: 'Keep going to the end -- we are with you,'" Katz said, referring to an overnight conversation between the two, according to a statement issued by the Israeli minister's office on Thursday.
Katz also said on X that Iran's next supreme leader “will be a target for elimination” if he continues to threaten Israel, the US and others.
The US and Israel launched the war Saturday, targeting Iran’s leadership and killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as well as its missile arsenal and nuclear program.
Leaders have suggested that toppling the government is a goal, but the exact aims and timelines have repeatedly shifted, signaling an open-ended conflict.
Iran’s leaders are scrambling to replace Khamenei, who ruled the country for 37 years. It is only the second time since the 1979 Iranian Revolution that a new supreme leader is being chosen.
Potential candidates range from hard-liners committed to confrontation with the West to reformists who seek diplomatic engagement. Mojtaba Khamenei, Khamenei’s son, has long been considered among them, though he has never held a government position.
