Speaking to ABC, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied the claim that assassinating Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei would escalate the conflict between Israel and Iran but would instead “end it.”

Netanyahu was responding to a question by ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl concerning reports that Trump vetoed the notion of assassinating Netanyahu was responding to a question concerning reports that Trump vetoed the notion of assassinating Netanyahu to ABC: Assassinating Khamenei will not escalate the conflict but will end it for fear of escalation.

The premier said, “It’s not going to escalate the conflict; it’s going to end the conflict.”

He explained, “We’ve had half a century of conflict spread by this regime that terrorizes everyone in the Middle East; has bombed the Aramco oil fields in Saudi Arabia; is spreading terrorism and subversion and sabotage everywhere.”

“The ‘forever war’ is what Iran wants, and they’re bringing us to the brink of nuclear war. In fact, what Israel is doing is preventing this, bringing an end to this aggression, and we can only do so by standing up to the forces of evil.”

When asked directly if Israel was planning to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader, Netanyahu replied that the Jewish State was “doing what we need to do.”

“I’m not going to get into the details, but we’ve targeted their top nuclear scientists,” Netanyahu said. “It’s basically Hitler’s nuclear team.”

He added that it is also in America’s interest to end Iran’s nuclear program.

“Today, it’s Tel Aviv. Tomorrow, it’s New York. Look, I understand ‘America First’. I don’t understand ‘America Dead.’ That’s what these people want. They chant ‘Death to America.’

He continued, “So we’re doing something that is in the service of mankind, of humanity, and it’s a battle of good against evil. America does, should, and does stand with the good. That’s what President Trump is doing, And I deeply appreciate his support.”

During the interview, Netanyahu dismissed a Wall Street Journal report that Iran was seeking an end to hostilities and a return to the negotiating table to resume nuclear agreement negotiations.

“I’m not surprised. I mean, they want to continue to have these fake talks in which they lie, they cheat, they string the U.S. along. And, you know, we have very solid Intel on that,” he said.

“They want to keep on building their nuclear weapons and building their mass ballistic missile arsenal, which they’re firing at our people. They want to continue to create the two existential threats against Israel while while they’re talking. That’s not going to happen,” Netanyahu said.