Defence Minister Israel Katz has claimed Israel has killed Iran’s intelligence minister, Esmaeil Khatib. Tehran has not commented on, nor confirmed the attack.

If the claim announced Wednesday is confirmed, it would be the third major high-profile assassination of Iranian leaders in two days.

Israel’s assassination of Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij paramilitary force, who were both killed in Israeli air strikes on Tuesday, came as a blow to Iran. Iran will hold funerals on Wednesday for both men.

Howvere, Larijani’s killing will not deal a fatal blow to Iran’s leadership, the country’s foreign minister said.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, aired after the killing of Larijani was confirmed by Tehran early on Wednesday, Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi said the United States and Israel had yet to realise that Iran’s government does not rely on a single individual.

More to come…