From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Katz says Iran’s intelligence minister Khatib killed in strike, promises more ‘surprises’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Defense Minister Israel Katz says Iran’s intelligence minister, Esmaeil Khatib, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran overnight, adding that “significant surprises” are expected today.
“On this day, significant surprises are expected across all arenas that will escalate the war we are conducting against Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon,” he says during a security assessment, according to remarks provided by his office.
“The intensity of the strikes in Iran is increasing. The Iranian intelligence minister Khatib was also eliminated overnight,” he says.
Katz says that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have “authorized the IDF to [eliminate] any senior Iranian figure… without the need for additional approval.”
The Times of Israel Community.