Iran confirmed the killing of its intelligence minister Esmail Khatib on Wednesday. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian termed Khatib’s death a “cowardly assassination”.
Pezeshkian said in a post on X, “The cowardly assassination of my dear colleagues Esmail Khatib, Ali Larijani, and Aziz Nasirzadeh, alongside some of their family members and accompanying team, has left us in deep mourning.”
“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 wrote.
Why did Israel kill Esmail Khatib?
Israel killed Iran’s intelligence minister Esmail Khatib just a day after killing its powerful security chief Ali Larijani. It declared on Wednesday that its military is authorised to kill any senior Islamic Republic figure it gets in its sights.
The Israeli military stated that Khatib played a significant role in suppressing protests within Iran, including those related to Mahsa Amini, and that his ministry conducted global operations against Israel.
The Israel Defence Forces said, “Esmaeil Khatib, the Iranian terrorist regime Minister of Intelligence, was killed in a targeted strike in Tehran.”
“Khatib played a significant role during the recent protests throughout Iran, including the arrest & killing of protestors and led terrorist activities against Israelis & Americans around the world. Similarly, he operated against Iranian citizens during the Mahsa Amini protests (2022–2023),” the IDF said.
It added, “The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence possesses advanced intelligence capabilities, overseeing surveillance, espionage, and the execution of covert operations worldwide, particularly against Israeli and Iranian citizens.”
Meanwhile, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz announced, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have authorised the IDF [Israel Defence Forces] to eliminate any senior Iranian official for whom the intelligence and operational circle has been closed, without the need for additional approval.”
“We will continue to thwart them and to hunt them all down,” Katz said.
Israel also vowed to hunt down Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared in public since he succeeded his father.
The war erupted on 28 February when US and Israeli forces attacked Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and has since been marked by several high-profile killings.
Who was Esmail Khatib?
Esmaeil Khatib has served as Iran’s Intelligence Minister since August 2021, The Sunday Guardian reported.
He was appointed under former Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi and remained in office even after a change in leadership.
As per the report, Khatib built a reputation as a hardline security official with close ties to Iran’s top leadership, particularly Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Throughout his career, he worked on internal security, intelligence operations, and counter-espionage activities.
Khatib was sanctioned by the US in 2022 for alleged cyber-related activities against the US and its allies.
