Iran's intelligence minister Esmail Khatib has been killed, the country's president has confirmed. Masoud Pezeshkian said the 'cowardly assassination' has left Iran 'in deep mourning', after Israel claimed on Wednesday that it had killed Khatib in an airstrike. This incident follows a day after Israel announced the elimination of Iran's top security official, Ali Larijani, and the head of the paramilitary Basij force, Gholamreza Soleimani, in similar strikes. Since the assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, multiple senior Iranian officials and commanders have fallen victim to efforts by Israel and the US to disrupt the regime's leadership. Pezeshkian extended condolences to the Iranian populace, asserting that the path paved by these officials would continue steadfastly. Surveys suggest varied public reactions, with some believing Khatib's death might lessen the likelihood of violent reprisals against protests. Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Khatib had been 'eliminated' in Tehran. The Israeli military has been authorized to target any senior Iranian figure without needing additional approval, highlighting the escalating tensions between the nations. Khatib, who played a significant role in the Iranian regime's repressive strategies, had previously been sanctioned by the US Treasury for engaging in activities against the United States and its allies. Following this announcement, mass gatherings occurred in Tehran for the funerals of Larijani and Soleimani, amid an ongoing war that has claimed thousands of lives on both sides, predominantly civilians. Iranians have retaliated against Israel, with drone strikes reported across various Middle Eastern nations, intensifying the conflict significantly.}