Iran confirmed the killing of its intelligence minister Esmail Khatib on Wednesday. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called Khatib’s death a “cowardly murder”.
In a post on X, Pezeshkian said: “The cowardly murder of my dear colleagues Esmail Khatib, Ali Larijani and Aziz Nasirzadeh along with some of their family members and accompanying team has left us deeply saddened.”
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“I express my condolences to the great people of Iran for the martyrdom of two cabinet members, Secretary Shura and military and Basij commanders. I am sure that their journey will continue stronger than before,” Pezeshkian wrote.
Why did Israel kill Esmail Khatib?
Israel killed Iran’s intelligence minister Esmail Khatib just a day after killing its powerful security chief Ali Larijani. On Wednesday, she said her army was authorized to kill any high-ranking Islamic Republic official it caught sight of.
The Israeli military said Khatib played a significant role in suppressing protests in Iran, including those related to Mahsa Amini, and that his ministry conducted global operations against Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces said: “Esmaeil Khatib, Iran’s minister of intelligence for the terrorist regime, was killed in a targeted attack in Tehran.
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“Khatib played a significant role during the recent protests across Iran, including arresting and killing protesters and leading terrorist activities against Israelis and Americans worldwide. He similarly operated against Iranian citizens during the Mahsa Amini protests (2022-2023),” the IDF said.
He added: “Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence has advanced intelligence capabilities, overseeing surveillance, espionage and conducting covert operations around the world, especially against Israeli and Iranian citizens.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced: “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have authorized the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) to remove any senior Iranian official for whom the intelligence and operations circle has been closed, without the need for further approval.”
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“We’re going to continue to thwart them and hunt them all down,” Katz said.
Israel also vowed to hunt down Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared in public since succeeding his father.
The war broke out on February 28 when US and Israeli forces attacked Iran and killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and has since been marked by several high-profile assassinations.
Who was Esmail Khatib?
Esmaeil Khatib served as Iran’s Minister of Intelligence since August 2021, The Sunday Guardian reported.
He was appointed under former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and remained in office after the change in leadership.
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According to the report, Khatib has built a reputation as a hardline security official with close ties to Iran’s top leadership, particularly Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
During his career, he worked in homeland security, intelligence operations, and counterintelligence activities.
Khatib was sanctioned by the US in 2022 for alleged cyber activities against the US and its allies.
