Israel Kills Iran's Intelligence Minister Khatib, Third Senior Official Dead in 48 Hours

Israel said on Wednesday it had killed Iran's intelligence minister, Esmaeil Khatib, in an overnight airstrike on Tehran, making him the third senior Iranian official assassinated by the Israeli military in less than 48 hours.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed the killing during a briefing with senior military officials, though Tehran has not verified the claim. Iran has so far made no public comment on Khatib's reported death, Al Jazeera reported.

Khatib's killing follows the confirmed deaths on Tuesday of Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and widely regarded as the most powerful decision-maker in the country, and Brigadier General Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij paramilitary force under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had granted the Israeli military standing authorisation to kill any senior Iranian official in its sights, without requiring case-by-case approval.

'Today, significant surprises are expected in all arenas that will escalate the war we are waging against Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon; the intensity of attacks in Iran is increasing,' Katz said.

Netanyahu Taunts Tehran With 'Punch Card' Video

Hours before Khatib's death was announced, Netanyahu posted a video on social media alongside US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. In the clip, the Israeli prime minister pulled a small card from his suit jacket.

'Today I erased two names on the punch card, and you see how many more to go on this batch,' Netanyahu said, referring to the killings of Larijani and Soleimani.

The video also served to dismiss persistent online rumours that Netanyahu had been killed in Iranian retaliatory strikes.

Netanyahu said Israeli forces were 'undermining this regime in the hope of giving the Iranian people an opportunity to remove it' and pledged more operations to come.

Iran Fires Retaliatory Missiles at Israel After Larijani Killing

Iran responded to the assassinations with a fresh barrage of missiles aimed at central Israel in the early hours of Wednesday. The IRGC said the strikes were in direct retaliation for the death of Larijani.

Two people were killed in the Ramat Gan area near Tel Aviv by missile shrapnel. Tel Aviv District Police Commander Haim Sargerof said the pair died 'just a few metres from the safe room.' One person was also injured in the nearby city of Bnei Brak.

Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the missiles fired included the Khorramshahr-4, a multiple-warhead system that experts say can carry up to 80 small bomblets designed to evade air defence systems. Multiple locations in Tel Aviv were struck by falling debris, with vehicles reported on fire in residential streets.

Khatib Was a Trusted Ally of Iran's Late Supreme Leader

Khatib, 65, had served as Iran's intelligence minister since August 2021. Born in Qaen, South Khorasan, he studied Islamic jurisprudence in Qom and spent much of his early career in the IRGC's intelligence branch before being appointed to lead the civilian intelligence ministry under former President Ebrahim Raisi.

Israeli military analysts described Khatib as a trusted figure close to Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The elder Khamenei was killed alongside dozens of senior officials in the Israeli opening strike on 28 February that launched the current war, now in its 18th day.

When Masoud Pezeshkian succeeded Raisi as president, he took the unusual step of retaining Khatib in the intelligence role. The decision was seen as a concession to hardliners, with Khatib serving as a check on Pezeshkian's more moderate positions.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in an interview aired after Larijani's death was confirmed, said the United States and Israel had yet to grasp that Iran's political system does not depend on any single individual.

Funerals for Larijani and Soleimani were scheduled for Wednesday. The joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, which began on 28 February, has now killed the former supreme leader, his top security chief, the Basij commander, and - if confirmed - the head of the country's intelligence apparatus.

Originally published on IBTimes UK