In an escalation of rhetoric, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei suggested Sunday that the International Criminal Court in The Hague should pursue capital punishment rather than arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The remarks came during Khamenei's address to members of the Basij force, a paramilitary organization known for its role in internal security operations and suppression of domestic opposition in Iran.
During his speech to the assembled forces, Khamenei claimed that "Iran's Basij will certainly succeed in destroying the Zionist regime in one day." He continued with rhetoric against Israeli military operations, stating, "Bombing homes in Lebanon and Gaza is not victory. They are foolish if they think that bombing homes, hospitals, and gatherings constitutes victory. No one sees this as victory."
"What the Zionists are doing is a war crime," Khamenei told his forces, referring to existing ICC warrants before adding, "but that's not enough. They must issue a death sentence for Netanyahu. This criminal leader must receive a death sentence."
