Israeli officials say a targeted overnight operation in Tehran killed Iran’s intelligence minister, though Iranian authorities have not confirmed the claim.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Israel said Wednesday that it carried out a targeted overnight strike in Tehran that resulted in the death of Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib, marking the latest in a series of high-level Iranian figures reportedly killed amid escalating hostilities.
According to a Times of Israel report, Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Khatib was killed in an Israeli airstrike and signaled that further developments were imminent. “On this day, significant surprises are expected across all arenas that will escalate the war we are conducting against Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon,” Katz said during a security assessment, according to remarks released by his office. He added, “The intensity of the strikes in Iran is increasing. The Iranian intelligence minister Khatib was also eliminated overnight.”
Katz also said that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “authorized the IDF to [eliminate] any senior Iranian figure… without the need for additional approval,” indicating an expansion of operational authority as the conflict broadens.
The reported strike follows the killing of another senior Iranian official, Ali Larijani, who was described as a top security figure within the Islamic Republic. His death was reported one day earlier alongside another high-ranking official, further underscoring the scale of recent targeting of Iran’s leadership.
Iran has not issued a public response regarding Khatib’s reported death.
Background information provided in a BBC report notes that Khatib was appointed intelligence minister in 2021 by then-president Ebrahim Raisi. He studied Islamic jurisprudence under senior clerics, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and held multiple senior roles within Iran’s intelligence apparatus and the Office of the Supreme Leader.
The BBC also reported that Khatib had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2022 for his leadership of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, citing involvement in cyber-enabled operations targeting the United States and allied nations. His career dates back to the early years following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, with reports indicating he joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 1980.
The latest developments come amid intensifying military actions between Israel and Iranian-backed forces in the region, with Israeli officials indicating that additional operations may be forthcoming.
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