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As intelligence minister, Khatib was involved in overseeing crackdowns on domestic protests, including recent anti-regime demonstrations.
By United with Israel Staff
The Israeli military said it carried out a precise overnight strike in Tehran that eliminated Iran’s intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib, in what officials described as another major blow to the regime’s internal security apparatus.
In an official statement, the military said the Israeli Air Force, guided by military intelligence, targeted Khatib during a strike in the Iranian capital.
Khatib, who was appointed in 2021 by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, headed Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, one of the regime’s central organs for surveillance, repression, and covert operations.
According to Israeli officials, the ministry plays a key role in monitoring dissidents, conducting espionage, and directing operations against Israel and Western targets worldwide.
As intelligence minister, Khatib was involved in overseeing crackdowns on domestic protests, including recent anti-regime demonstrations and the 2022–2023 hijab protests, during which Iranian authorities carried out widespread arrests and used force against civilians.
Israeli officials also said Khatib played a central role in directing the ministry’s external terror activities, including operations targeting Israeli and American interests abroad, as well as efforts carried out during Operation “Lion’s Roar.”
The strike comes amid a broader Israeli campaign targeting senior Iranian officials tied to the regime’s military and internal security networks.
Earlier this week, senior Iranian figures were killed in a wave of strikes across Iran. Among the most prominent was Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and a key decision-maker within the regime who, Israeli officials said, played a central role in managing national security policy and overseeing the response to domestic unrest.
In the same wave of operations, Israeli officials said forces eliminated Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij paramilitary force, which is used by the regime to suppress protests and enforce internal control under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Israeli officials said the elimination of Khatib adds to a growing list of senior commanders and intelligence figures killed since the start of the campaign, further degrading the regime’s command-and-control capabilities.
The military said it will continue targeting senior figures within Iran’s leadership as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt the regime’s ability to operate against Israel.
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