Israel Kills Iran Intelligence Chief and Two Other Senior Officials in Tehran

Israel has killed three of Iran's most senior security and intelligence figures in a series of overnight airstrikes on Tehran, in what Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described as an escalating campaign against Iran and Hezbollah.

The strikes eliminated Iran's Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, and Basij Unit commander Gholamreza Soleimani — a sweeping blow to Iran's top security establishment in the span of two days.

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Israeli Defence Minister Katz confirmed the killing of Khatib during a security assessment on Wednesday, saying the intensity of Israeli strikes on Iran was increasing.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced the strike separately, stating that Khatib had played a significant role in the crackdown on protesters inside Iran — including during the Mahsa Amini protests of 2022–23 — and had led terrorist operations targeting Israelis and Americans around the world.

"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 said in a post on X.

On Tuesday, Israel claimed the killing of Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in a separate airstrike in Tehran. Iranian media later confirmed that Larijani and his son were both killed on March 17.

The IDF described Larijani as one of the most senior figures in the Iranian regime and a long-standing close associate of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

According to the IDF, Larijani had effectively functioned as the leader of the Iranian regime following Khamenei's death, and had personally overseen a crackdown on protesters during recent unrest inside Iran.

The IDF also announced the killing of Gholamreza Soleimani, who had commanded Iran's Basij paramilitary unit for the past six years.

The Basij, under Soleimani's leadership, was described by the IDF as the primary force behind internal repression operations in Iran — employing mass arrests, severe violence, and the use of force against civilian demonstrators.

Tasnim News Agency confirmed that Soleimani was killed in an aerial attack by Israeli fighter jets in Tehran.

Katz warned during his security assessment that further major strikes were expected, saying significant surprises were anticipated "across all arenas" that would further escalate Israel's campaign against Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

He also confirmed that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorised the IDF to eliminate senior Iranian figures without needing to seek additional approval for each individual strike — a significant shift in operational authorisation that signals Israel's intent to press ahead with targeted killings at the highest levels of the Iranian government.