Israel claims to have assassinated Iranian intelligence official in latest attack

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Israel’s Defence Minister Announces New Guidelines for Military Operations

In a statement released on Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed that his country has killed Esmaeil Khatib, Iran’s intelligence minister. The Iranian government has yet to confirm this information.

According to Katz, the killing of Khatib marks the third assassination of high-ranking Iranian leaders in two days. On Tuesday, Iranian security chief Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij paramilitary force, were killed in Israeli air strikes.

A funeral ceremony was held in Tehran on Wednesday for both men, attended by officials and mourners. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Larijani’s killing will not significantly impact Iran’s leadership structure.

Katz also announced that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have granted the Israeli military standing authorisation to eliminate other senior Iranian officials without requiring case-by-case approval.

According to reports, Khatib was considered a trusted figure close to Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. The US State Department has offered a $10 million reward for information about Khatib and other top Iranian officials.

The Israeli military has been conducting targeted operations against high-ranking Iranian leaders since February 28. These strikes have resulted in the deaths of numerous senior Iranian officials, including Hamas leaders and Hezbollah’s longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Source: Al Jazeera