Iran's intelligence minister Esmail Khatib has been killed, the country's president has confirmed. Masoud Pezeshkian said the 'cowardly assassination' had left Iran 'in deep mourning', after Israel said on Wednesday it had killed Khatib in an airstrike.
This comes a day after Israel announced the deaths of Iran's top security official, Ali Larijani, and head of the paramilitary Basij force, Gholamreza Soleimani, in related strikes. Since the beginning of the war on February 28, multiple senior Iranian officials and commanders have been targeted as part of efforts by Israel and the US to weaken the Iranian regime.
Pezeshkian expressed condolences to the Iranian people, asserting that the path of these officials would continue. Some citizens in Tehran indicated that Khatib's death might lower the risk of government repression ahead of potential protests. Israel's Defense Minister confirmed that Israel would continue to target senior Iranian officials deemed threats.
Khatib had a longstanding history in Iranian politics, being appointed by the late president Ebrahim Raisi in 2021 and was previously sanctioned by the US for his involvement in cyber activities against American interests.
The loss of Khatib has ignited broader discussions about Iran's security landscape as the country reacts to the escalating conflict with Israel. Recent reports indicate over 1,300 lives lost in airstrikes on Iran, with heavy implications for regional stability.
This comes a day after Israel announced the deaths of Iran's top security official, Ali Larijani, and head of the paramilitary Basij force, Gholamreza Soleimani, in related strikes. Since the beginning of the war on February 28, multiple senior Iranian officials and commanders have been targeted as part of efforts by Israel and the US to weaken the Iranian regime.
Pezeshkian expressed condolences to the Iranian people, asserting that the path of these officials would continue. Some citizens in Tehran indicated that Khatib's death might lower the risk of government repression ahead of potential protests. Israel's Defense Minister confirmed that Israel would continue to target senior Iranian officials deemed threats.
Khatib had a longstanding history in Iranian politics, being appointed by the late president Ebrahim Raisi in 2021 and was previously sanctioned by the US for his involvement in cyber activities against American interests.
The loss of Khatib has ignited broader discussions about Iran's security landscape as the country reacts to the escalating conflict with Israel. Recent reports indicate over 1,300 lives lost in airstrikes on Iran, with heavy implications for regional stability.
