• Israel claims responsibility for the assassination of Iranian intelligence minister Esmail Khatib.
• The killing of Khatib marks the third high-profile assassination of Iranian leaders in two days.
• Defense Minister Israel Katz indicates military operations against Iran will intensify, allowing for further targeted strikes.

On Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced that Israel's military killed Iran's intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib. This operation marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two nations, coming just a day after Ali Larijani, Iran's top security official, and Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij paramilitary force, were also reportedly killed in Israeli strikes, according to aljazeera, scmp, and middleeasteye.

Katz warned that Israel's military operations would escalate, stating that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorized the military to eliminate any senior Iranian official without requiring additional approval. "No one in Iran has immunity," he proclaimed, highlighting a new level of aggression, according to channelnewsasia and indiatimes.

The Israeli military accused Khatib of overseeing intelligence operations aimed at the state's adversaries and his involvement in curtailing recent protests in Iran. Katz noted that the intensity of attacks on Iranian territory was "increasing," signaling a decisive period in the conflict, as he reiterated the commitment to "thwart and hunt them all down" in further operations against Iranian leadership, as covered by lemonde and channelnewsasia.

Following these developments, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi condemned the attacks, asserting that the U.S. and Israel must recognize that Iran's strength lies beyond individual leaders, indicating the resilience of the Iranian political system amid external pressures, according to aljazeera and scmp.