Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday that it killed Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib in a targeted overnight strike in Tehran, in what would mark one of the highest-level Israeli strikes on Iran’s intelligence leadership in the current conflict. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also announced Khatib had been “eliminated.”
The Israeli military said Khatib oversaw intelligence, surveillance and covert operations, and accused him of directing activities against Israelis, Americans and Iranian citizens. In its statement, the IDF also linked him to Iran’s crackdown on protests, including the unrest that followed Mahsa Amini’s death in 2022.
Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorized the military to continue targeting other senior Iranian officials on an approved list without needing further approval.
Khatib, a cleric, has served as Iran’s intelligence minister since 2021. There was no immediate public confirmation from Iranian authorities on his reported death
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