The assassination took place on the night of March 17 to 18, as Katz clarified. He also noted that together with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they made a decision allowing the IDF to eliminate any high-ranking Iranian official without the need for additional permission.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed the death of Ismail Khatib as a result of an attack by Israeli armed forces. In his message on the social network X, he expressed condolences to the people of Iran over the "martyr's death" of two government members, including the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and military commanders.
Ismail Khatib became Iran's Minister of Intelligence in August 2021. Previously, he served as the head of security for the former Supreme Leader of the country, Ali Khamenei, and from 2012 to 2019, he headed the Center for Judicial Protection and Intelligence.
