The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has confirmed the report that the top intelligence official of the Islamic regime of Iran is dead following an Israeli airstrike.
Israeli media initially reported the successful elimination of Esmaeil Khatib, and the IDF provided official confirmation on Wednesday morning. This is truly a feather in Israel’s cap, cutting off the head of the Iranian intelligence apparatus that is a key part of its global terrorist network and domestic sharia system that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives both within Iran and abroad over the years. The news about Khatib comes just after Israel also took out top Iranian security official and murderous butcher Ali Larijani.
Below is the official announcement from the IDF on X, along with some key facts about why Khatib was such a prime target:
đź”´ELIMINATED: Esmaeil Khatib, the Iranian terrorist regime Minister of Intelligence, in a targeted strike in Tehran.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 18, 2026
Khatib played a significant role during the recent protests throughout Iran, including the arrest & killing of protestors and led terrorist activities against… pic.twitter.com/654lpYCZ1c
IDF noted that Khatib “operated against Iranian citizens during the Mahsa Amini protests (2022–2023).” In 2022, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in Iranian police custody after being savagely abused for not wearing a hijab in public, violating strict sharia. The Persian people rose up in Iran in mass protests over Amini’s murder. The Iranian regime arrested, tortured, and raped thousands of protesters, both male and female.
That time, the USA did not come to help, as the Biden administration was in charge. But in 2026, when the people again rose up, Israel and the United States came in on their side. The Persian freedom protestors of the Lion and Sun Revolution called out to the Trump administration for help as the Islamic regime massacred 40,000+. And Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heard them.
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IDF’s post about Khatib, after referring to the Amini protests, added, “The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence possesses advanced intelligence capabilities, overseeing surveillance, espionage, and the execution of covert operations worldwide, particularly against Israeli and Iranian citizens.” But finally, Khatib suffered for his elaborately conceived crimes.
Writer M.A. Rothman posted, “This isn’t just another name on a kill list. The strike was described as a joint U.S.-Israeli intelligence effort, and Khatib wasn’t a peripheral figure. He ran Iran's entire global terror apparatus — and his network had Donald Trump in its crosshairs. The State Department’s Rewards for Justice program had offered up to $10 million for information on Khatib, a rare public bounty that signals just how much of a threat Washington considered him.”
Rothman emphasized, “Iran built a terror machine to reach into America and eliminate its enemies — including a sitting U.S. president. Today, that machine’s chief engineer is dead."
Now Khatib goes to his eternal punishment.
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