Israel claims airstrike killed Iran's intelligence ministerkilled Iran's intelligence minister Esmail Khatib
Israel conducted an overnight airstrike in Tehran that killed Iran's Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, according to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and senior officials. Iran's president confirmed the death, marking the third senior Iranian official killed in targeted Israeli strikes over two days, following Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani. The assassination escalates the Israel-Iran conflict amid a broader Israeli campaign targeting Iran's leadership, raising fears of regional retaliation.
- Esmail Khatib joined Iran's Revolutionary Guard at age 18 during the 1980 Iran-Iraq War.
- Khatib studied under Ayatollah Khomeini, founder of Iran's Islamic Republic.
- He directed crackdowns on protests sparked by Mahsa Amini's 2022 death.
US-Iran Ceasefire War
The United States launched military strikes against Iran on June 26, 2026, in response to a drone attack on a commercial cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a "foolish violation" of the 60-day ceasefire agreement signed just days earlier[2][4][14].
26 June, 09:35 PM
US launches strikes against Iran following commercial ship attack26 June, 04:47 PM
Trump calls Iran drone attack on cargo ship a ceasefire violation
