TEHRAN – Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has issued a formal threat to assassinate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, vowing to continue “pursuing and killing him” if he remains alive.
The statement, published through the IRGC’s official media outlet, Sepah News, on Sunday, March 15, 2026, labeled the Israeli leader a “child-killing criminal.” The elite military unit declared its intention to hunt Netanyahu with “all our strength,” marking a significant escalation in the rhetoric between the two regional adversaries.
The threat comes amid a wave of unverified reports and viral social media rumors suggesting that Netanyahu had already been killed in a recent Iranian strike. Speculation intensified after online commentators claimed a recent video of the Prime Minister showed an “AI glitch” involving an extra finger, leading to theories that deepfake technology was being used to mask his death.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office has since dismissed these claims as “fake news,” maintaining that Netanyahu is safe and remains in full control of the government. In an apparent response to the rumors, the Prime Minister appeared in a brief video filmed at a cafe, mocking the reports while consuming coffee.
The exchange occurs during a period of unprecedented tension in the Middle East. Tensions surged following the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in late February, an event that Tehran has blamed on a coordinated U.S.-Israeli operation.
International security analysts warn that such direct threats against a sitting head of state further diminish the possibility of a diplomatic ceasefire as the conflict enters its third week.
