Iran-Israel War: Who was Ismail Khatib? Israel kills third major Iranian leader in 24 hours; stir in Tehran

News India Live, Digital Desk: Ismail Khatib was the ‘Intelligence Minister’ of Iran, who held the post since 2021. He was considered very close and trusted by Iran’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Israel claims that Khatib was not only responsible for crushing opponents within Iran, but was also conducting cyber attacks and espionage networks on Israeli and American targets abroad.IDF’s ‘Operation Roaring Lion’: 3 big victims in 2 daysIsraeli Defense Forces (IDF) have broken the back of Iran’s military and intelligence infrastructure in the last two days. Before Ismail Khatib, Israel targeted two more big leaders: Ali Larijani: Head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and one of the most powerful persons after Khamenei. (Death on March 17) Gholamreza Soleimani: Commander of Iran’s paramilitary force ‘Basij Force’. (Death on March 17) Ismail Khatib: Intelligence Minister of Iran. (Death on March 18) Attack took place at midnight in Tehran. According to reports, Ismail Khatib was present at a safe house in Tehran, which was tracked by the Israeli intelligence agency ‘Mossad’. Precise attack: Israeli fighter planes attacked the building with ‘bunker buster’ bombs where Khatib was meeting with his senior officials. Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement: Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that no Iranian official included in Israel’s hit list will be spared. Why was Ismail Khatib ‘most wanted’? Mastermind of cyber attacks: America had imposed sanctions on Khatib in 2022. He was accused of leading ransomware and cyberespionage attacks on US infrastructure. Internal repression: Khatib’s ministry played a key role in suppressing the 2022 ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ protests and the recent 2026 demonstrations. Regional networks: They were the main hub for intelligence sharing to groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. Iran’s retaliation and global crisis following Ismail Khatib’s death After this, Iran has vowed ‘definite revenge’: Missile attack: Iran has fired missiles with multiple warheads at Tel Aviv and central Israel. Attack on Gulf countries: Iran has also started targeting the energy bases of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and UAE to put pressure on America. Strait of Hormuz: Iran has warned of completely closing this trade route, deepening the global oil crisis. Could.