Israel Claims Killing of Iran’s Intelligence Minister in Third Assassination in Two Days Israel’s Defense Forces announced on Wednesday that Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib had been killed in a “targeted strike” in Tehran, marking the third high-ranking Iranian official to be assassinated in just two days. The IDF stated that Khatib, who was appointed to his position in 2021 by Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, played a significant role in the recent protests in Iran, including the arrest and killing of demonstrators and orchestrating terrorist attacks against Israelis and Americans globally. The statement also noted his involvement in suppressing dissent during the Mahsa Amini protests of 2022–2023. Iran has not yet officially commented on the reported death of Khatib. The strike comes after Israel claimed earlier in the week that Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, and the commander of Iran’s Basij forces, Gholamreza Soleimani, had both been killed. Iran’s official judiciary news agency later confirmed Soleimani’s death, while the Supreme National Security Council stated that Larijani was killed alongside his son, Morteza Larijani, and several others. The U.S. and Israeli-led military campaign against Iran entered its 19th day on Wednesday, with Israel launching strikes on Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, as part of its ongoing offensive against Hezbollah, a Tehran-backed militant group. In response, Iran and its allied military factions have carried out retaliatory attacks across the Middle East, escalating fears of a broader regional conflict. Iran has previously retaliated against Israeli and U.S. targets, including attacks on Gulf neighbors and strikes on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route.#ayatollah_ali_khamenei #israel_defense_forces #esmail_khatib #mahsa_aminiprotests #iran_supreme_national_security_council
