BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 18. Iran confirmed the
death of Intelligence and Security Minister Esmail Khatib, Trend reports.
Earlier, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that Iran’s
Intelligence and Security Minister Esmail Khatib had been killed in
one of the airstrikes carried out on Tehran last night.
“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. Similarly, he operated against Iranian citizens during the
Mahsa Amini protests (2022–2023). The Iranian Ministry of
Intelligence possesses advanced intelligence capabilities,
overseeing surveillance, espionage, and the execution of covert
operations worldwide, particularly against Israeli and Iranian
citizens,” the IDF wrote on its official X page.
Since no concrete agreement was reached in negotiations between
the United States (US) and Iran over the nuclear program, the US
and Israel began military airstrikes against Iran on February 28.
In response, Iran launched missile and drone attacks on Israel and
US military facilities located in countries across the region,
starting the same day.
On the first day of the air strikes against Iran, Iran’s Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and several high-ranking
military officials were killed. On March 8, Iran’s Assembly of
Experts elected Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s third Supreme
Leader by majority vote.
From March 1 through March 5, the confrontation expanded
further, affecting several countries across the Middle East.
According to information, the U.S. side suffered losses of 13
dead and more than 140 wounded.
The ongoing conflict has significantly threatened the region’s
energy infrastructure and maritime transport. Oil prices have
surged on global markets due to heightened security tensions around
the Strait of Hormuz, prompting several countries to advise their
citizens to leave the region.
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