Israel PM Netanyahu applauds US President Donald Trump for his constant support during the Middle East conflict

New Delhi (India) June 17: Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said that Iran was also a threat to the United States and thanked US President Donald Trump on Monday for backing Israel in its war against Iran.

Netanyahu said, “Today its Tel Aviv, tomorrow its New York. I understand America First but I don't understand America dead. That's what these people want. They chant ‘death to America’’

“We're doing something in the service of mankind, of humanity and its a battle of good against evil. America does and should stand with the good. That's what President Trump is doing and I deeply appreciate his support.”

"The 'forever war' is what Iran wants, and they're bringing us to the brink of nuclear war. In fact, what Israel is doing is preventing this, bringing an end to this aggression, and we can only do so by standing up to the forces of evil.”

Netanyahu stated that his nation was "doing what we need to do" in response to a question concerning if Israel would strike the Iranian supreme leader. "We've targeted their top nuclear scientists," he added, "but I won't go into the specifics," adding that "it's basically Hitler's nuclear team.”

The Israeli military claimed on Tuesday that it had killed Ali Shadmani, Iran's senior military commander in an overnight attack. They referred to him as the person closest to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The military said, “Following "a sudden opportunity overnight, the Israeli air force struck a staffed command centre in the heart of Tehran and eliminated Ali Shadmani, the war-time Chief of Staff, the most senior military commander, and the closest figure to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei".

On Monday, US President Donald Trump advised Tehran people to leave their city and indicated further involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict as he left an early Group of Seven summit. He used social media to support Israel and send a warning to the Iranian capital before leaving Canada at the G7 summit. He warned on social media that Iran can't have a nuclear weapon.

Both sides increased their attacks as the deadly confrontation between Israel and Iran entered its fifth day on Tuesday. At least 224 Iranians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes, including civilians, nuclear scientists, and some of Tehran's top military leaders. The Israeli authorities have reported that at least 24 persons, including women and children, were murdered in Iranian attacks on their territory. Early on Tuesday, Israel's army issued a warning after detecting further missile launches from Iran.

Aadrika Tayal