Iran has confirmed that Intelligence minister Esmail Khatib was killed in Israeli strikes on Wednesday. Taking to X, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the “cowardly assassination” and offered his condolences.
“The cowardly assassination of my dear colleagues Ismail Khatib, Ali Larijani, and Aziz Nasirzadeh, alongside some of their family members and accompanying team, has left us in deep mourning,” he wrote on X. Track the latest updates on the US-Iran war
“I extend my condolences to the great people of Iran for the martyrdom of two cabinet members, the secretary of the Shura, and the military and Basij commanders. I am certain their path will continue more steadfastly than before,” Pezeshkian added further.
Earlier today, Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz stated that Khatib was killed in targeted overnight airstrikes. This assassination from Israeli forces comes a day after the killing of Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani.
In a statement on Wednesday, Katz said the country’s military had eliminated Khatib, while adding that “significant surprises are expected throughout this day on all the fronts”.
Katz also stated that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have given the Israeli military standing authorisation to eliminate other senior Iranian officials in their sights without the need for prior approval.
The killing of Esmail Khatib marks the third assassination of Iran’s top leaders in two days. Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij, the internal paramilitary force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was also killed in Israeli strikes on Tehran.
Aziz Nasirzadeh, Iran’s defence minister, was also killed in the initial US-Israeli strikes against Tehran, along with former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Ahead of the targeted assassinations, the US State Department offered a $10 million reward for any information about Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and other senior officials.
Following the killing of Larijani, Israeli PM Netanyahu in a televised statement said that Israel “did the job for free”.
