The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) today confirmed that Iran’s Minister of Intelligence, Esmail Khatib, has been killed in an airstrike.
According to the IDF, Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence is the country’s primary intelligence agency and has been actively involved in supporting operations linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Israeli officials further alleged that the ministry had provided intelligence assistance for activities they described as terrorist operations.
The IDF also stated that it carried out strikes targeting missile launch sites positioned to attack vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, reportedly using heavy aerial munitions.
Commenting on the ongoing operations, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has authorized expanded strikes targeting senior Iranian leadership figures.
Hostilities between the two countries intensified today, with Israel increasing the scale of its airstrikes, while Iran launched retaliatory missile attacks. These developments reportedly follow earlier escalations, including the killing of senior Iranian figure Ali Larijani.
Meanwhile, several Gulf nations—including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—announced that their air defense systems successfully intercepted Iranian drones and missiles.
In a related development, the U.S. State Department had recently announced a reward of up to $10 million for information on key Iranian figures, including Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and senior IRGC officials. Following this announcement, three high-ranking Iranian government members have reportedly been killed in Israeli operations.
Casualty figures continue to rise amid the escalating conflict. Reports indicate that 1,444 Iranian nationals, 13 U.S. military personnel, 15 Israeli civilians, and 20 residents from Gulf countries have been killed in the ongoing exchanges of attacks.
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