Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could face a similar fate to Iraq’s late dictator Saddam Hussein, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz cautioned Tuesday.
“I warn the Iranian dictator from continuing to commit war crimes and firing missiles at Israeli citizens,” Katz said at a meeting of senior Israeli military officials in Tel Aviv.
Some background: Hussein, who was president of Iraq from 1979 until his overthrow in 2003, invaded Iran in 1980 and launched a missile campaign against Israel in 1991. The Iran-Iraq war ended in a stalemate after eight years. Iraq’s campaign against Israel lasted a little over a month during the First Gulf War, and Israel — under pressure from the United States — did not retaliate.
After US-led forces invaded Iraq in 2003, Saddam was quickly captured, put on trial and sentenced to death by hanging.
Katz’s comment came after a senior US official told CNN over the weekend that the Israelis had an opportunity to kill Khamenei, but the US communicated to Israel that President Donald Trump opposed the plan.
