Israel has killed Iran's Minister of Intelligence, Esmaeil Khatib, in a precision overnight strike, according to a senior Israeli official. The operation was reportedly enabled by joint intelligence cooperation between Israel and the United States. The official described Khatib as a central figure in alleged plots targeting American officials, including President Donald Trump.

Khatib had survived an earlier large-scale strike on Iran's senior leadership at the Defense Council compound in Tehran during the opening phase of Operation Epic Fury, in which more than 40 leaders were killed within seconds. He was said to be the only survivor of that initial attack before being killed in the latest strike.

Israeli officials said Khatib played a key role in directing crackdowns on protesters during recent unrest, including demonstrations following the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini. He had also been sanctioned by the United States Treasury Department for overseeing cyber operations and other intelligence activities targeting the United States and its allies.

Since the start of the conflict, Israel has targeted and killed several senior Iranian political and military leaders. The State Department had recently offered a financial reward for information on senior Iranian security figures linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and related networks, including Khatib.