March 20, 2026

Supreme leader breaks silence after top minister’s death in Israeli attack

ash32903 mins
Supreme leader breaks silence after top minister’s death in Israeli attack

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei has issued a message.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei has issued a message of condolence to President Massoud Pezeshkian. The murder of Intelligence Minister Ismail Khatib occurred in an Israeli attack earlier this week.

Khamenei paid tribute to Khatib, calling him a “hard-working intelligence minister,” according to an Al Jazeera report that cited a statement from the Tasnim news agency.

In his message, the Supreme Leader stressed the need for authorities to step up efforts to address the gap. Khatib was saved from death. He called on the Intelligence Ministry to continue its work in maintaining national security.

Khamenei also urged vigilance against what he described as “internal and external enemies,” stressing the importance of continued security operations following the minister’s assassination.

Amid rising tensions between the United States, Israel and Iran, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed on Wednesday that Khatib was killed in the strike overnight on Tuesday.

Katz said the conflict would continue on multiple fronts, including operations targeting Iran and the group Hezbollah, Al Jazeera reported. The statement also warned of intensified hostilities and hinted at further “surprises”.

Ismail Khatib’s tenure

Khatib took over as Iran’s intelligence minister in 2021 during the presidency of Ebrahim Raisi. During his career, he held several senior roles in the Intelligence Ministry as well as in the Office of the Supreme Leader. He was also known to have studied Islamic jurisprudence.

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In 2022, the United States Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Khatib, citing his leadership of Iran’s intelligence ministry and accusing him of engaging in cyber-enabled activities targeting the United States and its allies.

According to the BBC, Khatib joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shortly after the Iranian Revolution in 1980.

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