Israel threatens Khamenei over hospital attack as Trump weighs US involvement

TEL AVIV

Israel’s defense minister on June 19 said that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is “the modern Hitler” and “cannot continue to exist over a hospital attack, as U.S. President Donald Trump was considering his country’s military intervention in the conflict.

"Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed, he personally gives the order to fire on hospitals. He considers the destruction of the state of Israel to be a goal," Defense Minister Israel Katz told journalists in Holon near Tel Aviv.

"Such a man can no longer be allowed to exist."

The Soroka Hospital in the southern town of Beersheba was left in flames following an early morning barrage of "dozens" of Iranian ballistic missiles, with impacts also reported in two Israeli towns close to coastal hub Tel Aviv.

"Several wards were completely demolished and there is extensive damage across the entire hospital with damage to buildings, structures, windows, ceilings across the medical center," the hospital director told journalists.

Iran said it was targeting an Israeli military and intelligence base, not the health facility. Israel, meanwhile, struck a heavy water reactor linked to Iran's nuclear program.

Israel's Health Ministry reported that 271 people were wounded in Iranian attacks this morning, with 71 of the people wounded in Soroka Hospital. 

In the afternoon, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued an evacuation warning for area where Israel's Dimona nuclear plant is located, Iranian media reported.

Israel's military stood down an alert of incoming Iranian missile fire, telling citizens they could now leave their shelters.

Air raid sirens had sounded across large parts of northern Israel after the latest launch on June 19 afternoon, the army's Home Front Command said.

But around 20 minutes later, the army released a statement saying people were permitted to leave their shelters.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Soroka Hospital later on the same day. Speaking after the visit, Netanyahu praised Israel's "incredible" partnership with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu said, "Trump's determination, resolve and clarity that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons is very clear, and for that Iran must not enrich uranium. Trump gave Iran a chance to do that through negotiations, they stalled him. You cannot stall Donald Trump."

On possible U.S. involvement in the conflict, Netanyahu said, “This is a decision for Trump to make, but the U.S. is already very helpful.”

Netanyahu said that Israel would "eliminate" the nuclear threat from Iran, adding, “At the end of this operation, there will be no nuclear threat to Israel, there will be no ballistic missile threat.”

Netanyahu also said that Israel was “very strongly” damaging Iran's nuclear program.

When asked if Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was a potential target, Netanyahu said, “No one is untouchable.”

The latest escalation came on the seventh day of deadly exchanges between the two countries, with Trump maintaining suspense about whether Washington will enter the war alongside Israel.

Trump has left his intentions on joining the conflict deliberately ambiguous, saying: "I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do."

"The next week is going to be very big," he added, without further details.

Any U.S. involvement would be expected to involve the bombing of a crucial underground Iranian nuclear facility in Fordow, for which special bunker-busting bombs have been developed.

The White House said Trump would receive an intelligence briefing on June 19, a U.S. holiday.

Top U.S. diplomat Marco Rubio is set meet his British counterpart for talks expected to focus on the conflict.

"I have ideas as to what to do, but I haven't made a final [decision]," Trump said. "I like to make the final decision one second before it's due, because things change. Especially with war."

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had told aides he had approved attack plans but was holding off to see if Iran would give up its nuclear program.

Trump told reporters that Iranian officials "want to come to the White House,” a claim denied by Tehran.

The US president had favored a diplomatic route to end Iran's nuclear program, seeking a deal to replace the 2015 agreement he tore up in his first term.

But since Israel unleashed the campaign against Iran last week, Trump has stood behind the key U.S. ally.