Esmail Khatib, Iran's intelligence minister, has been killed, the country's president has confirmed.
Masoud Pezeshkian said the cowardly assassination had left Iran in deep mourning, after Israel said on Wednesday it had killed Khatib in an air strike.
This comes a day after Israel announced it had killed Iran's top security official, Ali Larijani, and head of the paramilitary Basij force, Gholamreza Soleimani, in strikes.
Since the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war on 28 February, multiple senior Iranian officials and commanders have been killed in efforts by Israel and the US to weaken the regime's leadership.
In a post on X, Pezeshkian extended his condolences to the Iranian people over the officials' deaths, asserting that their path would continue more steadfastly than before.
Speaking to the BBC, a Tehran woman noted that Khatib's killing might actually benefit the populace since he was part of the leadership.
Earlier on Wednesday, Israel's defense minister announced Khatib had been eliminated in an Israeli strike on Tehran, emphasizing the directive to target senior Iranian officials.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) indicated that Iran's Ministry of Intelligence had been pivotal in supporting the regime's repression, and Khatib was significantly involved in suppressing protests.
Khatib, appointed as Iran's intelligence minister in 2021, had a history of involvement in the country's military and intelligence sectors and was sanctioned by the US Treasury for his actions against the US and allies.
The Iranian government reports that over 1,300 have been killed in Israeli and US strikes since the onset of the war, with Iran retaliating with attacks across the Middle East.
The ongoing conflict continues to impact global oil prices amid fears surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route for energy supplies.
