The head of Iranian intelligence, Esmaeil Khatib, was killed in an Israeli airstrike, confirmed by Iran and Israeli defense officials.
Iranian Intelligence Chief Confirmed Dead
Iran has confirmed the death of its intelligence chief, Esmaeil Khatib, following earlier reports from Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Katz stated that further “significant surprises” are expected in the conflict with Iran and Hezbollah, adding that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized the military to assassinate “high-ranking Iranian officials” without prior approval.
Background of Esmaeil Khatib
Khatib, a Shia cleric, assumed leadership of the intelligence ministry in 2021. Prior to this, he held positions within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and served as an associate of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Recent Escalations and Targeted Killings
Ali Khamenei was reportedly killed on February 28th, the first day of the conflict between the US and Israel and Iran. Since then, several other key Iranian political and military figures have been killed.
On Tuesday, Israel reported the death of Ali Larijani, a influential politician who served as the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and was considered the de facto leader of the country following Khamenei’s death.
Iran also confirmed the death of Golamreza Soleimani, the leader of the Basij paramilitary organization, around the same time. Earlier reports indicated the deaths of Iranian Defense Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpur.
Financial Implications of the Conflict
Anne Applebaum reports that, at the current rate of expenditure, Trump will spend as much on the Middle East in three months as the US spent supporting Ukraine over three years.
Editorial Information
Edited by Kamila Cieślik.