Israel Assassinates Iran's Intelligence Minister in Tehran Strike | Who is Esmail Khatib?

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the overnight airstrike killing Iran's Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib in Tehran, following the assassinations of Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani.

Born in 1961 in Qaen, South Khorasan, Khatib—a Shiite cleric—studied Islamic jurisprudence under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and rose through the IRGC intelligence unit and judiciary's intelligence branch before his 2021 appointment by President Ebrahim Raisi. 
Known for overseeing Iran's internal repression, external threats, and dismantling alleged Mossad networks, Khatib's death escalates the Israel-Iran conflict amid intensifying attacks.