Iranian media outlets and the pro-Iran Sabareen channel, which is affiliated with pro-Tehran militias in Iraq, have in recent days circulated images of senior Israeli leaders under the headline “Zionist terror personnel that must be killed” or “The hit list: the next targets.”
The images included photos of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, labeled a “criminal against humanity,” Defense Minister Israel Katz, called the “terror minister” and Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, whose name was misspelled as “Tamer Bar,” described as a “child killer.”
Other titles used Iranian propaganda-style language, including “enemy of humanity” for Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Blot (misspelled “Avi Bluth”) and “reserve terrorist” for Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, whose name was also misspelled.
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The list also featured IDF Chief Rabbi Brig. Gen. Eyal Karim, described as the “herald of genocide,” former police commissioner Kobi Shabtai, labeled “the regime’s jailer,” and Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin, whose name appeared twice—once with his own photo and again under Navy commander Vice Adm. David Saar Salama’s photo.
Katz responded Monday in a post on X, accusing Iran of publishing “a list of senior political and security officials in Israel marked for assassination” and warning Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to “look to the sky and listen carefully for any hum when he leaves his bunker,” adding that “participants of the ‘red wedding’ are waiting for him there,” a likely reference to senior Iranian commanders killed by Israel during the 12-day war between the countries in June.
At a press conference on Sunday, Netanyahu was asked by Ynet about damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear program during the war and whether Tehran might launch a surprise attack in retaliation. Netanyahu said Israel had caused “years” of damage to the program, claiming Iran had been “months away from a facility or nuclear weapon” and that this had been pushed back. He compared the operation to “removing cancer from the body” and stressed Israel must remain on high alert. “The Iranians are preparing for various scenarios, and I will not elaborate,” he said.