‘This Will Not Happen’: Netanyahu Responds to Iranian Leader's Threat That Israel Will Disappear in 25 Years

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded Wednesday to the threat issued hours earlier by Iran's supreme leader, warning that the Jewish state would disappear in 25 years.

“This will not happen,” Netanyahu said while on a visit to London. “Israel is a strong country and it will become even stronger.”

"Khamenei is not giving supporters of the agreement any room for illusion. He has made it clear that the U.S. is the Great Satan and that Iran intends to destroy the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said.

PM: Khamenei has made it clear that the US is the Great Satan and that Iran intends to destroy the State of Israel. This will not happen.

— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) September 9, 2015

Early Wednesday morning, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the U.S. the “Great Satan” and threatened the future existence of Israel in a series of sharply worded tweets and at a speech at a Tehran mosque.

Khamenei said it was irrelevant what Israel thinks about the long-term prospects for the Iran deal since, “God willing,” the Jewish state will no longer exist in 25 years.

The Israeli leader hours later referred to the Iranian leader as the “tyrant in Tehran.”

“The conclusion that arises from the remarks of the tyrant in Tehran is that all responsible countries must cooperate in order to stop Iran's terrorism and aggression which, to my regret, will only increase as a result of the agreement,” Netanyahu said, according to the transcript posted by his office in Jerusalem.

The day before, Netanyahu compared Iran to the Islamic State group, saying both exhibit “barbaric medievalism.”

“We're challenged by the opposite of modernity, which is a barbaric medievalism, early medievalism, primitive, savage, murderous, that comes from the two sources of militant Islam – the militant Sunnis led by Daesh and the militant Shi’ites led by Iran,” Netanyahu said Tuesday evening, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State.

“Daesh uses swords to decapitate people. Iran wishes to develop atomic bombs to threaten millions, and we believe that both of them are moving into the ruins of shattered states in the Middle East and from here they want to establish each their own Islamic empire,” Netanyahu said.

The Israeli leader also warned Europeans they should “make no mistake” about the ultimate goal of Shiite and Sunni extremists.

“Whom they target is first us, other Muslims too of course and Christians and so on, but then you,” Netanyahu said. “Iran is building [intercontinental ballistic missiles] for Europe, not for us.”