Israel assassinated Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib in an airstrike in Tehran overnight Tuesday and targeted the commander of a Hezbollah-linked terror group in Beirut.

Khatib’s death was confirmed by Defense Minister Yisrael Katz early Wednesday afternoon, who said that Khatib oversaw the regime’s internal suppression operations and advanced terror threats worldwide.

Shortly later, the IDF also confirmed the assassination, saying that under Khatib, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry carried out covert terror operations worldwide, particularly against Israel and Iranian citizens.

The statement added: “Khatib played a significant role during the recent protests in Iran, including the arrests and killing of protesters, as well as acted against Iranian citizens during the Mahsa Amini protests in 2022-2023.”

“In addition to his activities targeting Israel, Khatib led the Ministry of Intelligence’s terrorist activities against Israeli and American targets around the world, as well as activities directed against targets within Israel during Operation Roaring Lion.”

“Khatib previously held several key roles within the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), primarily holding intelligence positions, where he served as a significant source of knowledge.”

Khatib was appointed as intelligence minister in 2021 and, according to Iran International, was considered one of the closest figures to Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

On September 9, 2022, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on him for involvement in cyber activities targeting the United States and its allies.

Israel also reportedly eliminated the commander of the Hezbollah-tied Imam Hussein militia in Beirut, who had assumed the position only days earlier after his predecessor, Ali Tabaja, was killed last week.
The Iranian-backed Imam Hussein militia includes terrorists of various nationalities from across the Middle East. It was established in 2016 under Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad in 2020.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)