Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday (March 18) that Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib was "eliminated" in a strike overnight.

There has been no confirmation from Iran regarding Khatib's reported death.

Katz said he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorized the military to kill any other senior Iranian official being targeted without the need for additional approval.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

1. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) IRANIAN INTELLIGENCE MINISTER, ESMAIL KHATIB, SAYING:

“Just as these documents are important, the methods of their transfer to Iran are also important. Therefore, we protect both the methods of transfer and the documents themselves, and that’s why it took time to announce them—to ensure they could be transferred to the country with full security. Naturally, the methods of transfer will also remain confidential and protected. These ways of transferring them won’t be published very soon, but the documents, God willing, will be published soon.”

2. WHITE FLASH

3. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) IRANIAN INTELLIGENCE MINISTER, ESMAIL KHATIB, SAYING:

"A comprehensive and complex operation was planned in this direction, which initially began with infiltration and attraction of resources and access to those resources, and this access to resources increased, making it possible that today, by God’s grace, we are witnessing this important treasure."