Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that the country’s forces had killed Iran’s intelligence minister Esmail Khatib, adding that the military was authorized to kill any high-ranking Iranian official in his ranks without seeking further approval.
“Last night, Iran’s Intelligence Minister Khatib was also removed,” Katz he said in a statement.
Khatib’s assassination comes shortly after Israel killed Iran’s security chief Ali Larijaniand another powerful man, Gholam Reza Soleimani, head of the Basij military force.
The US State Department offered a US$10 million reward on Friday for information on Iran’s new supreme leader. Mojtaba Khamenei and other leading leaders, including Khatib.
“The strength of the strikes in Iran is on the rise. We are in the midst of decisive action,” Katz said.
Katz also said that he and the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu it had authorized the military to target “any senior Iranian official whose intelligence and operations are closed, without the need for additional authorization”.
