Israel claims killing of Iran's intelligence minister in Tehran strike
2026-03-18 - 11:00
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed Wednesday that Iran's intelligence minister, Esmaeil Khatib, was killed in an overnight airstrike in Tehran, potentially marking another significant blow to the Islamic Republic's leadership structure. The announcement comes just days after Israel confirmed killing Iran's top security official Ali Larijani. Targeted elimination claimed "The Iranian intelligence minister Khatib was also eliminated overnight," Katz said in a statement released by his office and cited by The Times of Israel news portal. The claim extends Israel's apparent campaign of decapitating Iran's senior leadership, following the killing of Supreme National Security Council chief Larijani and his companions earlier this week. Katz indicated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has "authorized the army to eliminate any senior Iranian figure... without the need for additional approval," suggesting more strikes could follow. No Iranian confirmation There was no immediate response from Iranian authorities regarding Khatib's fate, leaving the claim unverified. The intelligence minister holds one of the most sensitive positions in Iran's government, overseeing both domestic security and foreign intelligence operations. If confirmed, his death would represent a major escalation in the targeting of Iran's civilian leadership, moving beyond military and security council figures to cabinet-level officials. Campaign intensifies The reported killing comes as the US-Israeli joint offensive against Iran, launched Feb. 28, has killed approximately 1,300 people including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran has continued retaliatory strikes against Israel and US assets across the region, with sirens sounding in northern Israel Wednesday following Iranian missile barrages. The apparent targeting of successive senior Iranian officials suggests Israel is pursuing a strategy of leadership decapitation aimed at crippling Tehran's decision-making apparatus.