- Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, has claimed that Iranian intelligence minister Esmaeil Khatib has been killed.
- Khatib, appointed in 2021, was reportedly close to the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and had a background in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) intelligence department.
- Tehran has not yet issued a response to these allegations regarding Khatib's death.
- This claim follows the recent killing of security chief Ali Larijani in another Israeli airstrike, making him the most senior Iranian official killed by the US and Israel since the assassination of Ali Khamenei.
- Iran's Revolutionary Guards retaliated by launching missiles at central Israel, citing revenge for Larijani's death.
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