“I directly accuse Iran’s current Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, of being primarily responsible for initiating this Israel-Iran war. Until he is overthrown or some other process occurs, we will continue to fight against him. I never rule out the possibility of such an event happening. The current administration of Iran is deliberately targeting the people of our Israel. Removing Al Khamenei is not an escalation of the conflict, but rather, I say, it is a way to end it. Over the past half-century, Iran’s ruling system, which has terrified everyone in the Middle East, has repeatedly caused various military conflicts. They even bombed oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. All Iran wants is an eternal war…”
What is this alarming statement we are hearing? Who made it? Before we look into who said it, let’s explore the rest of what was said:
“Iran, which wants an eternal war, has now brought us to the brink of a nuclear war. Recently, we even targeted their top nuclear scientist. Israel is working to end Iran’s powerful nuclear program, and America is helping us with that. Iran always chants ‘Death to Israel, Death to America.’ What we are doing is a battle for good against evil. America is also standing for this good, and we highly appreciate it. That is exactly what President Trump is doing. Iran’s claims that it is ending its nuclear program are lies. What they truly want is to build their nuclear weapons stockpile and massive ballistic missile arsenal. Iran is today a threat to the entire world. Some countries don’t understand that. We are not only fighting our own enemy — we are fighting your enemy too. Meanwhile, they scream ‘Death to Israel, Death to America’ in the name of God. Under no circumstances should America enter into a war with Iran. We will do that. We must take a stand against evil. We are fighting against a government that is trying to bring death and destruction across the world…”
This controversial statement was made a few days ago by Benjamin Netanyahu, the current Prime Minister of Israel. He made this statement at a time when the war between Israel and Iran — a subject of intense global conversation — has escalated significantly. For a long time, there had been various speculations about a possible war between the two countries, and now that has turned into actual warfare. Only about a week has passed since the war began.
Prime Minister Netanyahu made this statement to one of the world’s most renowned media organizations — an American news agency. The television interview was conducted via satellite phone from an undisclosed location in Israel, with Jonathan Karl, the head of the news division at the American organization. The full interview lasted 28 minutes, and it was later broadcast through other media platforms as well.
Benjamin Netanyahu, now 75 years old, has been serving as the Prime Minister of Israel since 1996, making him a seasoned political leader with a total of 17 years in office. He is currently recognized globally as a hardline, authoritarian political figure. Meanwhile, the ongoing Israel–Palestine conflict has lasted for almost 2 years.
We are now reaching a significant juncture in the Israel-Iran war — its latest chapter is unfolding moment by moment. So far, due to this crisis, around 500 lives have been lost, and thousands of people have been injured, with extensive property damage reported. Both nations are actively engaged in warfare, launching missile and air strikes. They are also targeting each other’s nuclear facilities, with reports indicating that a radiation leak has occurred at one of Iran’s nuclear plants.
A highly significant development was the statement made by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who warned people to evacuate Tehran, the capital of Iran. Following this warning, hundreds of thousands of people began fleeing to other areas. As a result, all roads in Tehran are now experiencing massive traffic congestion. President Trump strongly opposed the Israeli Prime Minister’s statement calling for the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader. Trump stated that such an action should not happen at this point in time.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is a well-known authoritarian and extremist Islamic leader, now aged 86. He previously served as the President of Iran from 1981 to 1989, and he has served as Supreme Leader since 1989, for 36 consecutive years. In his youth, he served in the Iranian military, contributing significantly during the Iran-Iraq war.
Due to his extremist Islamic regime, the people of Iran have, in recent times, also launched protests against him. Against this backdrop, both Israel and the United States have declared that Ali Khamenei must immediately step down. However, the latest reports state that he has vowed never to surrender to any country, and that he will continue to resist his enemies. According to foreign media, he is currently in hiding somewhere within Iran.
Recently, Khamenei threatened America, stating that American military bases located in Israel will be targeted tomorrow or the day after. He also warned that American warships positioned in maritime zones will also be attacked. Currently, Iran’s military is reported to have 600,000 regular troops and 300,000 reservists, while Israel reportedly has a total of only 600,000 troops.
Whatever the situation, the impact of this brutal war on the world is enormous. That is, many countries are now experiencing the consequences of the Israel-Iran war. Among them is Sri Lanka, which is heavily impacted. That is because Iran is one of Sri Lanka’s main tea export destinations. Annually, Sri Lanka exports over USD 65 million worth of tea to Iran.
Another major problem caused by the war is the rise in global crude oil prices. Recently, due to the war, global oil prices rose by 8%. Both Iran and Israel are oil-producing countries, and their conflict has directly affected the market.
One of the biggest challenges for Sri Lanka is the employment crisis. Thousands of Sri Lankans work in various jobs across Iran and Israel. If the war escalates further, there is a risk that these people will lose their jobs, and they may also face serious threats to their lives.
Furthermore, air and sea travel between these countries has already been suspended, which will significantly impact global trade and tourism. The escalation of the Israel-Iran war is now seen by many as a pathway to a third world war.
By Priyantha Hettige
