The strike was carried out on the night of March 18, Katz clarified. He also added that together with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they made the decision that the IDF has the right to "eliminate" any high-ranking Iranian official without the need for additional permissions.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed the information about the death of Khatib as a result of the IDF attack, expressing condolences to the people of Iran regarding the "martyr's death" of two government members and military commanders.
Ismail Khatib was appointed as Minister of Intelligence in August 2021. Previously, he served as the head of security for former Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei, and from 2012 to 2019, he headed the Center for Judicial Protection and Intelligence.
