Reports have emerged that Israel also considered the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during military operations against Iran.
The Times of Israel (TOI) reported on the 26th (local time) that Israel’s Minister of Defense Israel Katz stated in an interview with Channel 13, “If Khamenei had come into our crosshairs, we would have eliminated him,” adding, “We wanted to remove Khamenei, but there was no opportunity for the operation.”
When asked if Minister Katz sought U.S. approval regarding the removal of Khamenei, he responded, “We do not need permission for this kind of thing.”
Previously, Minister Katz referred to Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei as “the modern Hitler,” stating, “The Israel Defense Forces have been instructed that Khamenei should no longer exist to achieve the objectives of the war, and they are well aware of this.”
Khamenei was reportedly hiding in a bunker with his family since the start of Israeli airstrikes on the 13th.