Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei offers condolences on killing of Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, reports state media

Earlier, on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces announced that they killed Esmaeil Khatib, the Iranian Minister of Intelligence. This comes after several leaders of the Iranian top brass have been eliminated in US-Israeli strikes since the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, offered condolences on the killing of Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib to President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iranian state media Press TV reported on Friday.

Iran's Tasnim News further quoted a statement from Khamenei to the President where he said, "Undoubtedly, their absence must be compensated by the redoubled efforts of other officials and employees of that sensitive ministry, and security must be wrested from internal and external enemies and bestowed upon the general public of our compatriots."

The message of condolences on the heels of a video of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei released earlier today by IRIB. In what appears to be an archived video, the supreme leader can be seen teaching religious science to a bunch of pupils who are listening attentively.

The IRIB said that the video of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei was published for the first time.

Earlier, on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces announced that they killed Esmaeil Khatib, the Iranian Minister of Intelligence.

The IDF said that Khatib operated against Iranian citizens during the Mahsa Amini protests (2022-2023).

In a post on X, the IDF said on Wednesday, "ELIMINATED: Esmaeil Khatib, the Iranian terrorist regime Minister of Intelligence, in a targeted strike in Tehran. Khatib played a significant role during the recent protests throughout Iran, including the arrest & killing of protestors and led terrorist activities against Israelis & Americans around the world. Similarly, he operated against Iranian citizens during the Mahsa Amini protests (2022-2023). The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence possesses advanced intelligence capabilities, overseeing surveillance, espionage, and the execution of covert operations worldwide, particularly against Israeli and Iranian citizens."

Meanwhile, earlier today, Press TV also confirmed the death of the spokesperson of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Brigadier General Ali Mohammad Naeini, in US-Israeli strikes.

This comes after several leaders of the Iranian top brass have been eliminated in US-Israeli strikes since the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28.

Earlier this week, Iranian security chief Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij paramilitary force, were also killed in Israeli air strikes on Tuesday.

Pezeshkian condemned the "cowardly assassination of my dear colleagues," saying they "left us heartbroken". In a post on X, he added that their "path will continue stronger than before", as per Al Jazeera.

Earlier this week, in an interview, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi asserted that the political infrastructure of the nation remains a "very solid structure" and will not suffer a "fatal blow to Iran's leadership" following the confirmed killing of Ali Larijani.

"I do not know why the Americans and the Israelis still have not understood this point: The Islamic Republic of Iran has a strong political structure with established political, economic, and social institutions," Araghchi said.

The Foreign Minister emphasised that the "presence or absence of a single individual does not affect this structure." He noted that while "individuals are influential, and each person plays their role--some better, some worse, some less--but what matters is that the political system in Iran is a very solid structure."