Israel Kills MOIS Minister Khatib -- Third Senior Iranian Official in 48 Hours

Israel killed MOIS Minister Esmail Khatib in a targeted Tehran strike on March 18, alongside security chief Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani in the preceding 48 hours. Khatib ran domestic dissent suppression and external intelligence operations. MOIS decapitation creates a counterintelligence vacuum that may temporarily benefit U.S. collection but will trigger aggressive Iranian mole-hunting across their networks.