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Israeli warplanes killed Iran's intelligence minister Esmaeil Khatib in an overnight precision strike on Tehran early Wednesday, the third senior Iranian official assassinated in 24 hours as Israel accelerates a campaign to dismantle the Islamic Republic's command structure.Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the killing and announced that military commanders no longer require political approval for individual strikes on Iranian leaders. "No one in Iran has immunity and everyone is in the crosshairs," Katz said. "The war has reached its final, decisive phase."
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed Khatib died alongside several family members and accompanying personnel. He called it a "cowardly assassination" and vowed the country would continue with "even greater resolve."
The strike is part of a broader decapitation campaign that began on February 28, when US and Israeli forces launched massive coordinated strikes on Tehran. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh were reportedly killed on the first day.
Since then, power has passed to Mojtaba Khamenei, the late supreme leader's son. Analysts at the Council on Foreign Relations say the transfer of authority has been uneven, with questions about whether the younger Khamenei can maintain control over the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the country's fractured security apparatus.
Khatib ran the Ministry of Intelligence, known as MOIS, the regime's primary tool for domestic surveillance and repression. He oversaw the crackdown on the Mahsa Amini protests in 2022 and 2023, and was considered a close ally of the Khamenei family. His removal strips the regime of its most experienced internal security operator at the moment it can least afford the loss.
The killing followed the assassinations of Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij paramilitary force, both on March 17. Three senior leaders eliminated in a single day represents the most aggressive targeting of a sovereign government's leadership since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
The Israeli Air Force used precision-guided munitions to strike targets in Tehran described by the IDF as intelligence and IRGC command hubs. Katz warned of further operations on March 18 across "all arenas," including Lebanon and Yemen.
Israeli defense manufacturers Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries, and Rafael have accelerated production to sustain the multi-front war. US contractors Lockheed Martin, RTX, and Northrop Grumman have quadrupled output. RTX stock has risen 110 percent since 2023.
The war's economic toll continues to mount. Brent crude has surged to $110 per barrel, up 40 percent since fighting began. Global equity markets lost $3.2 trillion in value within the first 96 hours of the conflict.
For full coverage, visit https://www.linos.ai/world/israel-kills-iran-intelligence-chief-khatib/
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