Esmaeil Khatib

Esmaeil Khatib
اسماعیل خطیب
Khatib in 2024
Minister of Intelligence
In office
25 August 2021 – 18 March 2026
PresidentEbrahim Raisi
Mohammad Mokhber (acting)
Masoud Pezeshkian
Supreme LeaderAli Khamenei
Mojtaba Khamenei
Preceded byMahmoud Alavi
Succeeded byUndeclared (acting)
Special Assistant to the Custodian of Astan Quds Razavi
In office
2019–2021
PresidentHassan Rouhani
Supreme LeaderAli Khamenei
Preceded byMorteza Bakhtiari
Succeeded by?
Director General of Security of Astan Quds Razavi
In office
2019–2021
PresidentHassan Rouhani
Supreme LeaderAli Khamenei
Preceded byJafar Sabaghian
Succeeded by?
Head of the Judiciary's Protection and Intelligence Center
In office
2012–2019
PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad
Hassan Rouhani
Supreme LeaderAli Khamenei
Preceded byAli Asghar Jahangir
Succeeded byAli Abdollahi
Personal details
Born(1961-07-01)1 July 1961
Qaen, Khorasan province, Pahlavi Iran
Died18 March 2026(2026-03-18) (aged 64)
Tehran, Iran
Cause of deathAssassination by airstrike
Occupation
  • Politician
  • Government Minister
Military service
AllegianceIran Iran
Branch/serviceIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Years of service
1980–1991
UnitIntelligence
Battles/warsIran–Iraq War

Esmaeil Khatib (1 July 1961 – 18 March 2026) was an Iranian cleric and politician who served as the Minister of Intelligence from August 2021 until his assassination in March 2026 during the 2026 Iran war by an Israeli airstrike. He was the eighth official to hold the post.

Early life and education

Khatib was born in Qaen, Khorasan, in 1961. He studied Islamic jurisprudence in Qom. He was a pupil of people such as Ali Khamenei, Mohammad Fazel Lankarani, Naser Makarem Shirazi, and Mojtaba Tehrani.

Career

From 1991, Khatib was responsible for intelligence in the province of Qom.

Khatib held the title of Hujjat al-Islam, which translates as "proof of Islam" or "authority on Islam". Previous posts of Khatib included the head of the Information Protection Center of the Judiciary and the head of Astan Quds Razavi Security. He also worked in the Office of the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, as Iran's chief warden, and in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence department and the Ministry of Intelligence.

In 1985, Khatib was assigned to the intelligence unit of the IRGC by Mohsen Rezaei, the first commander-in-chief of the corps. Khatib was in the post until 1991. During the tenure of Ali Fallahian as Minister of Intelligence, Khatib was appointed head of the ministry's regional branch in Qom in 1999. Khatib was appointed chief warden in the Office of Supreme Leader in 2010.

Minister of Intelligence

Khatib was nominated as the minister of intelligence in the cabinet of president Ebrahim Raisi and was confirmed by the Majlis on 25 August 2021. He received 222 votes in favor. Khatib replaced Mahmoud Alavi in the post.

During the summer of 2023, senior security and intelligence officials, including Khatib, met in Mashhad to create a coordinated strategy to counter the "coherent and extensive" planning by the West to undermine national stability and purpose.

In June 2025, Iranian state media reported that Iranian intelligence agencies had obtained a large set of sensitive Israeli documents. Khatib said the files included material on Israel’s nuclear facilities, its relations with the United States, Europe, and other countries, as well as its defensive capabilities. He described the collection as a “treasure trove” that would strengthen Iran’s offensive capabilities and said the documents would be made public soon. Israel did not comment on the claims.

Views

Khatib was one of Ali Khamenei's close allies and was also a supporter of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He had close connections with other significant religious figures in Iran, mostly his teachers.

Assassination

Khatib was targeted in overnight Israeli airstrikes on 17–18 March 2026 and was killed, according to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and the Israel Defense Forces. Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed Khatib's death on 18 March 2026.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Between Ali Khamenei's death on 28 February and Mojtaba Khamenei's election on 8 March, an interim leadership council composed of Pezeshkian, Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i, and Alireza Arafi was tasked with handing the duties of the supreme leader.

References

  1. ↑ Ashley Carnahan, Trey Yingst (18 March 2026). "Israel kills Iranian intelligence minister who survived initial strike, official says". Fox News. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Shahriar Kia (22 September 2021). "Who is Esmail Khatib, Iran's Minister of Intelligence (MOIS)". NCRI. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Jazeh Miller (13 August 2021). "Iran: Raisi's Weak Cabinet, but Specialized in Repression". Iran News Update. Archived from the original on 8 December 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Esmail Khatib: Islamic Republic of Iran Minister of Intelligence". United against Nuclear Iran. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ardavan Khoshnood; Erfan Fard (17 September 2021). "Meet Esmaeil Khatib, Iran's New Spymaster". Besa Center Perspectives (2154). Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  6. ↑ Fard, Ardavan; Khoshnood, Erfan (17 September 2021). "Meet Esmaeil Khatib, Iran's New Spymaster". Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies. Archived from the original on 28 January 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  7. ↑ "Majlis votes for 18 proposed ministers, rejects education minister nominee". Tehran Times. 25 August 2021. Archived from the original on 21 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  8. ↑ Golnaz Esfandiari (23 June 2023). "Senior Iranian Officials Discussed Common Strategy To Counter Alleged Plots By 'Enemies'". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  9. ↑ "Sensitive Israeli documents obtained by Iran to be unveiled soon, minister says".
  10. ↑ "Overnight strike in Tehran targeted intelligence minister". Iran International. 18 March 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  11. ↑ "Israel says Iranian Intelligence Minister Khatib killed overnight". Reuters. 18 March 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  12. ↑ Fabian, Emanuel (18 March 2026). "IDF says intelligence minister Khatib had key role in regime's 'repression and terrorist activities'". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  13. ↑ "Iran president confirms intelligence minister Khatib killed in strike". Iran International. 18 March 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  14. ↑ "Live updates: Iran's intelligence minister killed by Israel; U.S. unleashes bunker busters". NBC News. 18 March 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.