In a statement, Katz said the Israeli military operation “eliminated” Khatib and several other top ministry figures, describing the attack as part of a broader “assassination sequence” targeting Iranian leadership.

The Israeli army claimed that “dozens of senior commanders” in Iran had been killed as the operation continued.

There has been no immediate confirmation of Khatib’s death from Iranian authorities.

Katz added that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorised the military to target additional senior Iranian officials without requiring further approval.

The announcement comes hours after Iran reported the deaths of top security chief Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of Iran’s paramilitary Basij, in an Israeli strike.

“Today, significant surprises are expected in all arenas that will escalate the war we are waging against Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon; the intensity of attacks in Iran is increasing,” Katz said.

The developments mark a sharp escalation in tensions between Israel and Iran, raising concerns over wider regional instability.