Israel says Iranian intelligence minister killed in air strike

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that the Israel Defense Forces killed Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib in a strike in Tehran on Tuesday night.

Katz said that “significant surprises are expected” across all war fronts, as he promised to escalate the conflict raging across the region, CNN reported. The defense minister also said that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had streamlined the process for targeting other Iranian leadership members.

"I have authorized the [Israel Defense Forces] to neutralize any senior Iranian official once an operational and intelligence opportunity arises – without the need for additional approval," Katz said.

Iran has not yet confirmed the alleged killing of Khatib.

Katz's announcement comes after Iran acknowledged that Israel killed top Iranian security official Ali Larijani.