Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian has confirmed the assassination of Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib in Israeli strikes, terming the killing "cowardly".
Pezeshkian took to X to confirm the news soon after Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, claimed to have killed Khatib in an airstrike, a day after Israel assassinated Iran's Security Chief Ali Larijani and Iran's internal militia Basij commander in chief, Gholamreza Soleimani, in separate strikes.
These killings are the most high-profile assassinations after the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed on February 28 airstrikes by Israel and the United States.
"The cowardly assassination of my dear colleagues Esmaeil Khatib, Ali Larijani, and Aziz Nasirzadeh, alongside some of their family members and accompanying team, has left us in deep mourning," Pezeshkian posted on X.
Pezeshkian further wrote that he extended his condolences to the great people of Iran for the martyrdom of two cabinet members, the secretary of the Shura, and the military and Basij commanders. "I am certain their path will continue more steadfastly than before," he posted.
The assassinations have been called "murder" by the Kremlin, as Russia has condemned the killings.
Following the killings, Iran intensified attacks against US assets in the Middle East and Israel on Wednesday, in an apparent retaliation for the killing of these leaders.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly said Wednesday that its missiles have hit more than 100 military and security targets in the heart of Israeli territories as "revenge" for the killing of Larijani, his son and aide, citing Iranian semi-official Fars news agency.
Also Read: Will Larijani Killing Weaken Chance Of US Exit Strategy For Iran War?
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