Israel Claims Killing of Iran Intelligence Minister Khatib; Third Senior Official in 48 Hours

Israel announced it killed Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib in an overnight strike on Tehran, the third senior Iranian official eliminated in 48 hours after SNSC Secretary Larijani and Basij Commander Soleimani on March 17. Tehran has not confirmed Khatib's death. The IDF now operates under standing authorization to kill any identified senior Iranian official without per-target cabinet approval, signaling an open-ended decapitation campaign.