Iran has confirmed that Esmail Khatib was killed in Israeli strikes on Wednesday.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the “cowardly assassination” and offered his condolences.
President Expresses Grief, Condemns Attack
“The cowardly assassination of my dear colleagues Ismail Khatib, Ali Larijani, and Aziz Nasirzadeh, alongside some of their family members and accompanying team, has left us in deep mourning,” he wrote on X.
“I extend my condolences to the great people of Iran for the martyrdom of two cabinet members, the secretary of the Shura, and the military and Basij commanders. I am certain their path will continue more steadfastly than before,” Pezeshkian added.
Israel Claims Responsibility For Strike
Earlier, Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said Khatib was killed in targeted overnight airstrikes.
In a statement, Katz said the Israeli military had eliminated Khatib and added that “significant surprises are expected throughout this day on all the fronts”.
He also said that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had granted the military standing authorisation to eliminate other senior Iranian officials without prior approval.
Multiple Senior Leaders Killed In Two Days
The killing of Esmail Khatib marks the third assassination of Iran’s top leadership in two days.
Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij, the internal paramilitary force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was also killed in Israeli strikes on Tehran.
Aziz Nasirzadeh was among those killed in the initial US-Israeli strikes, along with former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
US Offer And Earlier Developments
Ahead of the targeted killings, the US State Department had announced a $10 million reward for information on Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and other senior officials.
Following the killing of Ali Larijani, Netanyahu said in a televised statement that Israel “did the job for free”.
