Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has confirmed the death of the country’s Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib. In a post on social media platform X, Pezeshkian expressed grief over what he described as the cowardly killing of Khatib, senior security official Ali Larijani, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, and several of their family members and associates.

The deaths of Larijani and Nasirzadeh had been confirmed earlier by Iranian authorities. Prior to Pezeshkian’s statement, Israel had claimed responsibility for killing Khatib during an overnight operation. The incident marks a significant escalation in tensions between Iran and Israel, following a series of targeted attacks on Iranian officials.

The confirmation from the Iranian president underscores the gravity of the situation and may lead to further political and security repercussions within the region, though no immediate response from Tehran was detailed in the report.