Tehran: Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib was killed in an Israeli air force strike.
Katz said operations were progressing across multiple areas and that Israel would continue targeting senior Iranian officials. He added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorised the military to carry out targeted killings of top Iranian figures.
Iran has not yet confirmed Khatib’s death.
If verified, Khatib would be the third senior Iranian official reported killed in the past two days, following reports that Basij commander Sulaimani and National Security Council chief Ali Larijani died in Israeli airstrikes.
Khatib had served in various roles in Iran’s judiciary and intelligence ministry, and previously served in the Revolutionary Guard during the Iran-Iraq war, during which he was wounded.
