Iran's intelligence minister Esmail Khatib has been killed, the country's president has confirmed. Masoud Pezeshkian stated that the cowardly assassination has left Iran in deep mourning, following reports that Israel had killed Khatib in an air strike.
This occurrence follows a day after Israel announced the deaths of other senior Iranian officials, including top security official Ali Larijani and head of the Basij paramilitary force, Gholamreza Soleimani.
Since the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, there has been a trend of targeted strikes by Israel aimed at weakening Iran's leadership.
Pezeshkian extended condolences to the Iranian people, stating that he is certain the path paved by these officials will continue strongly. A woman from Tehran expressed a sentiment that Khatib's killing might lessen the likelihood of violence during potential protests, noting that even though there are replacements, the main figures have been removed.
Earlier on Wednesday, Israel's defense minister confirmed that Khatib had been eliminated in a strike on Tehran, asserting a policy of targeting senior Iranian officials as needed without further authorization.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that Iran's Ministry of Intelligence had significant roles in supporting the regime's repression, stating that Khatib was instrumental in suppressing protest movements.
Khatib had served as Iran's defense minister since 2021 and was previously sanctioned by the U.S. for engaging in cyber activities against the United States and its allies. His assassination underscores the ongoing tensions and violence in the region, with thousands already killed since the onset of the current conflict, including many civilians.
The reverberations of this conflict have been felt globally, with surges in oil prices following disruptions in vital waterways.
