Iranian Intelligence Minister ​Esmail Khatib Killed In Overnight Strike: Israel

Tehran: Israel on Wednesday claimed that Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib has been killed in a targeted overnight airstrike.

In a statement, Israel's Defence Minister Israel ​Katz said Khatib ​has been "eliminated". However, there is no confirmation from Iran over this. This comes after Iran's late Supreme Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's close aide, Ali Larijani, who was the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, was killed on Monday night."

IDF's Statement

Announcing the killing of Khatib, Israel Defence Forces said, “Overnight (Wednesday), the Israeli Air Force, acting on IDF intelligence, eliminated the Iranian terrorist regime Minister of Intelligence, Esmaeil Khatib, in a targeted strike in Tehran…[As the] Minister of Intelligence…Khatib oversaw the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence, the Iranian terrorist regime’s primary intelligence organization, which also played a key role in supporting the regime’s repression and terrorist activities.

The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence possesses advanced intelligence capabilities, overseeing surveillance, espionage, and the execution of covert operations worldwide, particularly against the State of Israel and Iranian citizens.

As the Intelligence Minister, Khatib played a significant role during the recent protests throughout Iran, both with regards to the arrest and killing of protestors as well as shaping the regime’s intelligence assessment. Similarly, he operated against Iranian citizens during the Mahsa Amini protests (2022–2023).

In addition to his activities targeting the State of Israel, Khatib led the Ministry of Intelligence’s terrorist activities against Israeli and American targets around the world, as well as activities directed against targets within Israel during Operation Roaring Lion.

Khatib previously held several key roles within the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), primarily holding intelligence positions, where he served as a significant source of knowledge.

His elimination joins dozens of other eliminations of senior commanders of the Iranian terrorist regime throughout the operation, including senior figures in the Ministry of Intelligence, and significantly degrades the regime’s command and control structures."

The IDF vowed to continue operating against Iranian terror regime commanders.

Who Was Esmail Khatib?

Born in Qaen, South Khorasan province in 1961, Khatib was 19 years old when the clergy grabbed power in Iran following the Iranian Revolution that toppled the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. Khatib is said to have studied Islamic jurisprudence under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

He served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Intelligence Unit from 1985 to 1991. Khatib was appointed as the Minister of Intelligence by Ali Khamenei in 2021.

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