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Israel Says It Killed Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib in Tehran Strike
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Israel announced it had killed Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib in a targeted overnight airstrike in Tehran, according to the Israel Defense Forces on March 18.
The IDF reported that the strike was carried out by the Israeli Air Force using military intelligence and described Khatib as a senior figure in Iran’s intelligence apparatus.
It noted that Khatib had served as the intelligence minister since 2021, having been appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
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According to the Israeli military, Khatib oversaw Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, which it described as the regime’s main intelligence body responsible for surveillance, espionage, and covert operations.
The IDF alleged that the ministry also played a central role in suppressing dissent inside Iran, including during the Mahsa Amini protests in 2022 and 2023, and in operations directed against Israeli and American targets abroad.
In its statement, the IDF wrote that Khatib’s killing “significantly degrades the regime’s command and control structures.”
The Israeli military further noted that Khatib had previously held intelligence-related posts within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and described him as a key source of institutional knowledge for Iran’s security establishment.
The strike has also intensified scrutiny of instability at the top of Iran’s leadership, as Iran’s supreme leader was reportedly secretly flown to Russia for surgery, pointing to a potentially extraordinary development at the top of Iran’s power structure, though the claim remains framed as unconfirmed in the available reporting.
If proved, the alleged transfer would suggest both acute concern over his condition and a high level of trust between Tehran and Moscow.
