تقول إسرائيل إنها قتلت وزير الاستخبارات الإيراني في عملية اغتيال ثالثة خلال يومين

Iran’s then incumbent Minister of Intelligence Esmail Khatib © sits with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian (C-R) before a speech to members of parliament in the capital Tehran, on August 17, 2024, as he defends his cabinet selection.

Atta Kenare | Afp | Getty Images

Israel’s Defense Forces said Wednesday that Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib had been killed in a “targeted strike” in Tehran, marking the third assassination of a high-ranking official in just two days.

“Khatib played a significant role during the recent protests throughout Iran, including the arrest & killing of protestors and led terrorist activities against Israelis & Americans around the world,” the IDF said in a post on social media.

“Similarly, he operated against Iranian citizens during the Mahsa Amini protests (2022–2023),” they added.

Iran has not yet commented on reports of Khatib’s death.

It comes after Israel said Tuesday that Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani and the commander of Iran’s Basij forces, Gholamreza Soleimani, had both been killed. Iran’s official judiciary news agency later confirmed the killing of Soleimani, the Associated Press reported.

According to AP, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council released a statement confirming Larijani was killed “along with his son Morteza Larijani and the head of his office, Alireza Bayat, as well as several guards.”

The IDF said Khatib was appointed to his position in 2021 by Iran’s late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in strikes aimed at high-ranking Iranian officials at the beginning of the war on Feb. 28.

Iran has since retaliated by attacking its Gulf neighbors and targeting ships trying to pass through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

Read more U.S.-Iran war news

• Israel says it has killed Iran’s intelligence minister in third assassination in two days
• How the Iran war is squeezing metals markets and key industries
• Traffic is trickling through Strait of Hormuz: Who’s moving through and who’s still stranded
• It’s not just oil: Aluminum prices have surged as Iran conflict chokes supply
• France ready to help U.S. secure Strait of Hormuz — but not while drones and missiles are flying
• Iran launches retaliatory strikes on Israel and U.S. assets after security chief Larijani is killed
• Israel says Iran’s security chief, Ali Larijani, has been killed in a strike
• Ships stranded at Hormuz, energy crunch at home: India’s U.S.-Israel tilt is testing ties with Iran
• Iran conflict looms large over Takaichi’s upcoming summit with Trump, experts say
• Global hedge funds suffer worst losses since ‘liberation day’ on Iran war turmoil
• Trump slams NATO allies for not joining Iran war, says U.S. never needed help
• Iran targets UAE energy infrastructure and tanker struck near Strait of Hormuz
• UAE reopens airspace after brief shutdown as Iran attacks keep region on edge
• 'We will remember’: Trump warns countries to help secure Strait of Hormuz as shipping stalls
• Oil slips as rising U.S. crude inventories offset attacks on UAE energy infrastructure
• Why traders are getting nervous about Iran’s $200 oil warning as the conflict drags on

The U.S. and Israeli-led war against Iran entered its 19th day on Wednesday, with Israel launching a series of strikes on Lebanon’s capital of Beirut as it continues its offensive against Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

Iran and its allied military groups have launched a series of retaliatory strikes across the Middle East, amplifying fears of a sprawling regional crisis.

Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.