Iran Supreme Leader Mourns Minister Esmail Khatib Death, Says Officials Should Be Vigil Against ‘internal, External Enemies’

2 min readUpdated: Mar 20, 2026 03:25 PM IST

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei has issued a message of condolence to President Masoud Pezeshkian following the killing of Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib earlier this week in an Israeli strike.

According to an Al Jazeera report which cited a statement carried by Tasnim News Agency, Khamenei paid tribute to Khatib, describing him as a “hardworking minister of intelligence.”

In his message, the supreme leader stressed the need for officials to intensify efforts to address the gap left by Khatib’s death. He called on the intelligence ministry to continue its work in maintaining national security.

Khamenei also urged vigilance against what he described as “internal and external enemies,” emphasising the importance of sustained security operations following the minister’s killing.

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Amid rising tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had on Wednesday confirmed that Khatib was killed in an overnight strike carried out on Tuesday.

As reported by Al Jazeera, Katz said the conflict would persist on multiple fronts, including operations targeting Iran and the group Hezbollah. The statement also warned of intensified hostilities and hinted at further “surprises.”

Esmail Khatib tenure

Khatib took office as Iran’s intelligence minister in 2021 during the presidency of Ebrahim Raisi. Over the course of his career, he held several senior roles within the intelligence ministry as well as in the Office of the Supreme Leader. He was also known to have studied Islamic jurisprudence.

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In 2022, the United States Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on Khatib, citing his leadership of Iran’s intelligence ministry and alleging involvement in cyber-enabled activities targeting the United States and its allies.

According to BBC, Khatib joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 1980, shortly after the Iranian Revolution.

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Esmail Khatib tenure

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