Jerusalem/Washington DC — Iran’s Minister of Intelligence Esmaeil Khatib has been killed in a coordinated overnight strike, a senior Israeli official has told Fox News marking one of the most significant killings since the conflict with Iran began last month.
The official said Khatib was the primary architect of Iran’s global intelligence operations, overseeing covert units and networks positioned across multiple continents. His killing was made possible through a joint US-Israeli intelligence effort, the official said.
“This man had American blood on his hands,” the senior Israeli official told Fox News. “His network specifically targeted current and former US officials, including President Donald Trump. His removal is a major operational and symbolic blow to Iran’s external terror infrastructure.”
Iran has not confirmed Khatib’s death. Iranian state media remained silent as of early Wednesday, and no official denial or acknowledgement had been issued.
Who Was Esmaeil Khatib
Khatib served as Iran’s top intelligence official, directing both domestic and international operations for the Ministry of Intelligence and Security one of the world’s most active and aggressive intelligence bodies, which has historically operated in close coordination with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Quds Force.
Western security analysts said Khatib was instrumental in expanding Iran’s asymmetric warfare capabilities, including cyber operations, targeted kidnappings of dissidents abroad, and assassination plots against foreign officials.
According to the senior Israeli official who spoke to Fox News, Khatib personally oversaw:
- Covert overseas operations
- Surveillance networks targeting Western officials
- Coordination with armed proxy groups across the Middle East and beyond
- Iran’s long-term external attack planning
“This man had American blood on his hands,” the official said.
US Had Already Offered $10 Million for Information on Khatib
Khatib’s name had appeared on the US State Department’s Rewards for Justice programme, which offered up to $10 million for intelligence that could help identify or locate senior Iranian security figures.
The listing noted that US intelligence agencies believed Khatib was directly involved in plots against American diplomats, military officials, and dissidents living abroad.
Joint US-Israeli Intelligence Operation
The senior official told Fox News the strike was the result of months of tracking, signal intercepts, and intelligence sharing at the highest levels between Washington and Jerusalem.
US support for the operation reportedly included:
- Satellite tracking
- Communications intercepts
- Analysis of Iranian internal movements
- Confirmation of Khatib’s precise location before the strike
“This targeting was made possible because of strategic intelligence cooperation,” the official said. “On this one, the Americans were deeply involved.”
Another Senior Figure Eliminated
Khatib is the latest in a series of senior Iranian security figures to be killed since Operation Epic Fury began in late February. Israel has already claimed the killings of Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani in overnight strikes earlier this week.
Previous Israeli strikes have also targeted:
- IRGC aerospace command
- Senior Quds Force coordinators
- Internal security and repression units
The campaign has systematically worked through Iran’s military and intelligence leadership since the opening of hostilities, removing figures with long operational histories against both Israel and the United States.
What Khatib’s Death Means for Iran
Security experts told Fox News the killing of the intelligence minister is likely to have significant consequences for Iran’s ability to operate abroad.
They said the removal of Khatib is likely to:
- Disrupt Iran’s overseas intelligence networks
- Create leadership gaps within the Ministry of Intelligence
- Trigger internal power struggles over control of covert operations
- Increase the risk of retaliation through proxy militias and cyberattacks
One Israeli defence official told Fox News: “It’s a severe blow. But it’s also the kind of loss that tends to provoke Iran to act.”
Washington and Jerusalem are reportedly assessing potential response scenarios as Iran absorbs the latest blow to its security leadership.
Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since his appointment and is reported to be injured and surrounded by IRGC personnel. In his first written statement, he vowed revenge for every Iranian killed in the conflict and threatened to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed a pledge that has sent oil prices above $100 a barrel and is now one of the central pressure points of the war.
For the latest on the Iran conflict and Operation Epic Fury, visit M10News.com.
This is a developing story. Updates will follow as more facts are confirmed.
