Internet reports that on June 26, local time, Israeli Defense Minister Katz said in an interview with Israel's Channel 13 that during the Israeli-Iraq conflict, Israel had planned to "eliminate" Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but failed to find a suitable opportunity. "If he comes into our sight, we will do it," Katz said. He added: "We had hoped to get rid of Khamenei, but we had not found a viable opportunity to fight." When asked if he had sought U.S. approval for the operation, Katz replied: "We don't need permission for this kind of thing."