The President of Iran has confirmed that Esmail Khatib, the Minister of Intelligence, was killed in an Israeli attack.
On 18 Mar 2026 GMT+7, Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, confirmed that Esmail Khatib, the Minister of Intelligence, was "assassinated" by Israel.
Pezeshkian condemned what he called the "cowardly assassination" of several senior officials in recent days, including Esmail Khatib, the Minister of Intelligence, whom Israel claimed to have killed in the attack last night.
“The cowardly assassination of my beloved colleagues—Esmail Khatib, Ali Larijani (senior national security official), and Aziz Nasirzadeh (Minister of Defense)—along with some family members and accompanying staff, has caused us great sorrow,” he said.
“I extend my condolences to the great Iranian people for the martyrdom of these two cabinet members, the Secretary of the People's Assembly, as well as military commanders and Basij forces. I am confident their path will continue more strongly than ever,” Pezeshkian added.
Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz revealed that their military had killed Esmail Khatib, Iran’s Minister of Intelligence, during an attack on Tehran, the Iranian capital, on Tuesday, 17 Mar 2026 GMT+7.
Katz said during a situation briefing Wednesday morning that significant surprises would occur on all war fronts and declared he would escalate the simmering regional conflict further. He also stated that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had improved the targeting process for other senior Iranian leaders to increase efficiency.
“I have authorized the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to take action against any senior Iranian official as soon as operational and intelligence opportunities arise, without needing further approval,” Katz said.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) provided more details about the killing of Esmail Khatib, describing it as a targeted operation in Tehran.
The IDF stated that Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence under Khatib played a key role in supporting political repression and terrorist activities by the Iranian government. Khatib himself was heavily involved in arresting and killing protesters during recent large demonstrations and crackdowns.
Esmail Khatib has become one of dozens of senior Iranian officials killed by Israel, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Ali Larijani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.
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