Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a direct death threat against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. The organization published a statement on Sepah News, its official website, in which it described Netanyahu as a “child-killing criminal” and promised to pursue him with force .”If this criminal, the killer of children, is still alive, we will continue working to hunt him down and kill him with all our strength,” the statement read.
The threat emerged as speculation circulated online regarding Netanyahu’s health and whereabouts. Social media users had claimed the Israeli leader had been killed in retaliation for recent strikes, and a video showing Netanyahu with what appeared to be “six fingers” fueled rumors that the footage was AI-generated .Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office responded to these rumors. “These are fake news; the Prime Minister is fine,” the office told Anadolu Agency.
The IRGC’s statement came as the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States entered its 16th day. On February 28, US and Israeli armed forces launched air strikes on Iranian territory. In response, Iran’s military launched ballistic missiles and drones toward Israel and carried out attacks against US bases and targets in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan.
The strikes on February 28 targeted key military and leadership sites in Iran and killed the Islamic Republic’s then-Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, along with his daughter, son-in-law and 14-month-old granddaughter . The IRGC likely branded Netanyahu a “child-killer” in reference to the death of Khamenei’s granddaughter.
