Iran has confirmed the killing of its intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib, describing the attack as a “cowardly assassination” amid escalating conflict with Israel.
President Masoud Pezeshkian announced the development on Wednesday, hours after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Khatib had been “eliminated” in an overnight strike.
In a statement, Pezeshkian said the killing of Khatib, along with other senior officials, had plunged the country into mourning and vowed that those responsible would face consequences.
He also referenced the deaths of key figures, including senior security official Ali Larijani and Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, who were reportedly killed in earlier Israeli strikes since the conflict began.
It could be recalled that DDM reported that the Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, said on Wednesday that Iran’s Intelligence Minister, Esmail Khatib, had been killed in an overnight military strike.
According to Katz, the operation was carried out as part of ongoing Israeli actions targeting senior Iranian officials amid the ongoing war between Israel and Iran.
Katz said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorised the military to target additional senior Iranian figures without requiring further approval.
