Jerusalem, Israel. Israel said on Wednesday that Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib had been killed in an overnight strike, though Iran has not confirmed the reported death.
Israel’s claim and lack of Iranian confirmation
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Khatib had been “eliminated,” without providing further details on the circumstances of the strike. There was no immediate response from Tehran.
Authorisation for further targeted killings
Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorised the military to kill any other senior Iranian official being targeted without requiring additional approval for each strike, signalling that Israel’s campaign of targeted killings against Iran’s leadership would continue at an accelerated pace.
Potential impact and related strike
If confirmed, Khatib’s death would be another significant blow to Iran’s security establishment. His reported killing would follow that of security chief Ali Larijani, whose assassination Iran cited as the reason for an overnight cluster warhead missile strike on Tel Aviv that killed two people.
What impact could Israel’s reported killing of Esmail Khatib have on the wider conflict?
