Israel says Iran intelligence minister Esmail Khatib killed
Israel says Iran intelligence minister Esmail Khatib killed
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday’s overnight strikes in Tehran also took out Iran’s intelligence minister.
Iran has yet to confirm Esmail Khatib’s death, which would mark the third killing of a high-ranked official in the Middle East nation in the latest attacks.
The regime confirmed on Tuesday that Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iranian Supreme National Security Council, was “martyred” during the attack, as well as the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s Basij force.
The country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also died shortly after the U.S. and Israel launched joint military strikes in Tehran at the end of February.
Katz threatened Iran with further strikes during a situation assessment with the country’s senior defense officials on Wednesday, according to Israel’s news agency.
“The intensity of the attacks in Iran is increasing,” he insisted. “We are in the midst of a decisive victory.”
On Sunday, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin told CNN that the military plans to continue strikes on the country for at least another three weeks.
“We are ready, in coordination with our U.S. allies, with plans through at least the Jewish holiday of Passover, about three weeks from now. And we have deeper plans for even three weeks beyond that,” he added.
Iran has countered the joint strikes from the U.S. and Israel by targeting military bases and oil infrastructure in the Gulf countries, slowing the passage of barrels through the Strait of Hormuz, driving concerns about the impact of this conflict on international energy rates.
The price of Brent crude oil is still up by 40 percent since the start of the conflict on Feb. 28, The Associated Press reported on Wednesday. These rising costs have driven up gas prices in the U.S., with diesel exceeding a $5 per gallon average this week, according to AAA.
The Trump administration has taken several measures to alleviate the economic impact of this conflict by lifting restrictions on Russian oil and releasing 172 million barrels from the U.S.’s strategic oil reserve. President Trump has also pressed allies to help police the Strait of Hormuz.
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