Israeli Defense Minister announces assassination of Iranian intelligence chief
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced on Wednesday the assassination of Iranian Intelligence Minister Ismail Khatib, at a time when Tel Aviv spoke of expanding the scope of its operations and raising the level of escalation on the Iranian and Lebanese fronts.
Katz said during a briefing to security officials, according to Hebrew media, that “Israel assassinated the Iranian intelligence minister,” hours after Israeli media reports indicated that an assassination attempt was carried out in Tehran last night, with the results of the operation pending before confirmation.
Katz hinted at raising the level of the war that Israel is waging against Iran and Hezbollah, speaking of “surprises” on various fronts, without clarifying the nature of the escalation, whether through expanding military operations, intensifying assassinations, or a ground incursion.
He added that “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given the army the freedom to carry out assassinations against Iranian leaders without the need for prior approval from the political leadership,” in a new procedure that contradicts the mechanisms previously followed.
Israeli media outlets, including Channel 15, reported that Khatib was the target of an airstrike that targeted the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Tuesday night, noting that his fate remained unclear.
Khatib is the top official in charge of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, one of the country’s most prominent security agencies. The US Treasury imposed sanctions on him in 2022, accusing him of overseeing cyber activities and operations targeting dissidents and foreign facilities.
Shafaq.com