Iran’s incumbent Minister of Intelligence Esmail Khatib (C) sits with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian (C-R) before a speech to members of parliament in the capital Tehran, on August 17, 2024, as he defends his cabinet selection.
Atta Kenare | Afp | Getty Images
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib has been killed in overnight strikes in Tehran, marking the third assassination of a high-ranking official in just two days.
The report comes after Israel said Tuesday that Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani and the commander of Iran’s Basij forces, Gholamreza Soleimani, had both been killed. Iran’s official judiciary news agency later confirmed the killing of Soleimani, the AP reported.
“The intensity of the attacks in Iran is increasing. We are in the midst of the decisive victory,” Katz said in a statement, according to the Associated Press.
“After the powerful assassinations of senior regime officials, the de facto leader of Iran (Ali) Larijani and head of the Basij ‘Murder Inc.’ organization, (Gholam Reza) Soleimani, the Iranian Intelligence Minister (Esmail) Khatib was also assassinated last night – who was in charge of the regime’s internal murder and repression system in Iran and of promoting external threats,” he added.
Iran has not yet commented on the report.
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