In the heart of a raging Middle East conflict, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards issued a blunt warning Sunday: if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still alive, they will chase and kill him “with full force”, according to NDTV.
The statement landed on the 16th day of war, just as questions swirled online about the 76-year-old leader’s whereabouts. He has not been seen in public for days, sparking fresh doubts.
A video released March 12 by his office drew sharp scrutiny. In it, Netanyahu appears to have six fingers on one hand, leading many to suspect digital editing or artificial intelligence. Speaking Hebrew, he gave his first news conference since U.S. and Israeli airstrikes hit Iran on February 28. He hinted at secret steps to topple the Iranian regime from within and delivered a veiled threat against its new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.
Conservative commentator Candace Owens added to the chatter on X, asking simply, “Where’s Bibi?” She pointed to what she called fake AI videos coming from his office and spoke of “mass panic” at the White House.
Netanyahu’s office quickly pushed back. When asked by Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, officials called the death reports “fake news” and said the prime minister is “fine.” No formal statement has come directly from his team. Adding to the unease, his son Yair, usually active on social media with 284,000 followers, has posted nothing since March 9.
The wider war erupted last month after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes killed Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran struck back at Israel and American bases in the Gulf; Israel and the United States answered with fresh attacks on Iranian sites. More than 2,000 people have died, most of them inside Iran.
As missiles fly and rumors race, the region holds its breath, watching for any sign that the violence might ease.
