Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib was “eliminated” in a strike overnight.
There has been no confirmation from Iran regarding Khatib’s reported death.
As per the report published in The Reuters, Katz said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorized the military to kill any other senior Iranian official being targeted without the need for additional approval.
Al Jazeera wrote, In terms of his position within the power structure, Khatib ticked every box. He was a graduate of Qom, and one of his teachers was the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. So he was really one of the top scholars.
He also held the title of Hujjat al-Islam, which means “the proof of Islam”. That is one of the highest religious titles in the country.
