Israel: Iran’s Intelligence minister Esmail Khatib killed in overnight strikes

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has claimed that Esmail Khatib, Iran’s Minister of Intelligence, was ‘eliminated’ in an overnight airstrike in Tehran.

However, Iranian authorities have not yet confirmed his death.

While announcing Khatib’s death, Katz said that “significant surprises are expected throughout this day on all the fronts,” without elaborating.

“We will continue to thwart and hunt them all down,” he said.

Katz further noted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin ⁠Netanyahu had authorized the military to kill any other senior ⁠Iranian official being targeted without the need ⁠for additional approval.

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The strike targeting Khatib is part of a significantly escalated joint US-Israeli offensive against Iranian leadership that reportedly began in late February 2026.

His reported killing follows the confirmed deaths of other top figures, including: Iran’s security chief, Ali Larijani, and Gholamreza Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ all-volunteer Basij force.

Khatib is a high-ranking cleric who has served as the head of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) since August 2021.

Before becoming minister, he held senior positions in the intelligence department of the judiciary and the Office of the Supreme Leader.

He is considered a close ally of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In 2022, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Khatib and the MOIS for engaging in “cyber-enabled activities” against the U.S. and its allies, including ransomware attacks and espionage.

Khatib reportedly oversaw Iran’s primary intelligence organization, responsible for internal repression, global covert operations, and surveillance.

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