March 18 (UPI) -- Israel said Wednesday that it had killed Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib in a "targeted" strike by Israeli Air Force fighter jets overnight.
Khatib's killing was announced by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz in a statement in which he said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorized the military to "assassinate any senior Iranian official without the need for additional approval."
"Significant surprises" were planned for Wednesday as the "intensity of the strikes in Iran is increasing," added Katz.
Israeli Defense Forces said Khatib died in a "targeted strike" in Tehran, saying his Intelligence Ministry was central to the regime's "repressive and terrorist activities" and that he personally had a "significant role" in mass detentions and killings of people participating in mass street protests in January and in 2022-2023 after the killing of student Mahsa Amini.
Related
