Dutch leader's 'find a bunker' jab at Iran's Khamenei after Hezbollah chief's death

In response to Khamenei's social media post, Geert Wilders said, "Well, maybe you'd better look for a good bunker @khamenei_ir."

In Short

• Khamenei calls Israel 'Zionist criminals' after strike on Hezbollah
• Wilders says Kamenei should 'look for a good bunker'
• Wilders also called Israel's killing of Nasrallah as 'fantastic news'

Dutch MP Geert Wilders, whose far-right Freedom party (PVV) heads the coalition government in the Netherlands, took a pot shot at Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's death in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. Wilders asked Khamenei to look "a good bunker" amid the escalating Israel-Hezbollah tensions.

Responding to Khamenei's post on X, where he referred to Israel's attack on Hezbollah in Beirut, Wilders said, "Well, maybe you’d better look for a good bunker @khamenei_ir."

Khamenei had referred to Israel as "Zionist criminals" and said in his post on Saturday, "The Zionist criminals need to know that they are far too weak to be able to inflict any significant damage on the solid structure of Lebanon’s Hezbollah."

Notably, Khamenei was moved to a secure location with increased security after the death of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon's Beirut on Saturday.

Israel's military said it had "eliminated" Nasrallah after bombing Hezbollah's central command in Beirut, where the 64-year-old was reportedly holed up in a bunker.

Wilders had responded to the Israel Defense Forces' post on X announcing the death of Nasrallah and had said, "Fantastic news! Compliments!"

Lebanon’s health ministry said that at least nine people had died and over 90 wounded after the Israeli strikes on Friday.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said several senior Hezbollah commanders and operatives were killed in the strikes, including Muhammad Ali Ismail, the chief of Hezbollah’s missile unit, and his deputy.

Notably, the recent airstrikes, which come amid efforts by the US and France to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, marks an escalation in the hostilities which broke out nearly a year ago. It also comes against the backdrop of Israel upping its offensive against Hezbollah this month, including targeted killing of the militants via exploding modified pagers and walkie-talkies.