26/05/2026
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26/05/2026
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JERUSALEM/TEHRAN, May 26: Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on Tuesday mocked a reported statement attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei after the Iranian figure said Israel would “not exist within 15 years,” escalating already heightened rhetoric between the two sides.
Sa’ar responded on X by referencing the remarks, writing: “Sounds familiar. I remember someone with the same surname who used to say this. By the way, where are you?” in a pointed remark widely interpreted as a jab at Iran’s leadership.
The comments were directed at a message attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, who Iranian media described as the Islamic Republic’s designated future supreme leader, in which he said Israel would cease to exist within the next 15 years.
The statement was reportedly issued in a message marking the Hajj pilgrimage, according to Iranian outlets, and echoed earlier remarks made years ago by Iran’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who had previously predicted that Israel would “not see the next 25 years.”
The message described Israel as an “unstable Zionist regime” and a “cancerous tumor,” adding that it was “approaching the final stages of its cursed existence,” according to the report.
No verified image or audio recording of Mojtaba Khamenei has been publicly released since his reported rise in political prominence, and his role remains largely defined through official statements and media references.
The exchange further intensifies already strained relations between Iran and Israel, which have repeatedly traded warnings and threats amid ongoing regional tensions.
