In brief
Esmail Khatib, the Iranian Intelligence Minister, was killed in an air strike that the Iranian president described as a 'cowardly assassination.' This event follows a series of high-profile killings of Iranian leaders and has heightened unrest within Iran, with discussions about potential ramifications for protests and the regime's stability.
Iran's intelligence minister Esmail Khatib has been killed, the country's president has confirmed.
Masoud Pezeshkian said the cowardly assassination had left Iran in deep mourning, after Israel said on Wednesday it had killed Khatib in an air strike.
It comes a day after Israel announced it had killed Iran's top security official, Ali Larijani, and head of the paramilitary Basij force, Gholamreza Soleimani, in strikes.
Since the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war on February 28, multiple senior Iranian officials and commanders have been killed in efforts by Israel and the US to weaken the regime's leadership.
In a post on social media, Pezeshkian extended his condolences to the Iranian people over the officials' deaths, adding he was certain their path will continue more steadfastly than before.
Speaking to reporters, a woman from Tehran stated the killing of Khatib might help the people since he was among the leadership. She expressed a belief that the likelihood of violence against protesters might be lessened.
Earlier on Wednesday, Israel's defense minister Israel Katz announced that Khatib had been eliminated in an Israeli strike on Tehran.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a statement asserting that Iran's Ministry of Intelligence was pivotal in supporting the regime's repression and Khatib played a significant role in the crackdown on protesters.
In recent months, over 1,300 deaths have been reported due to Israeli and US strikes on Iran, alongside Iran's retaliatory strikes across the Middle East.
With oil prices rising due to the ongoing conflict and its impact on a vital energy shipping route, the situation remains precarious, demonstrating the broader implications of such high-level political assassinations.
