Israel Says Strikes Killed Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib as Iran, Hezbollah Escalate Missile War and Civilian Toll Rises
Israel said its strikes killed Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib and other senior figures, while Iran and allied militias including Hezbollah have escalated missile, drone and naval attacks across Israel, Lebanon and Gulf Arab states. The fighting has killed roughly 1,300 people in Iran, some 850–920 in Lebanon, a dozen‑plus in Israel and 13 U.S. service members, displaced millions, disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and pushed oil and gasoline prices sharply higher.
📌 Key Facts
- Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, announced that overnight strikes killed Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmail (Esmail) Khatib; the assertion comes from Israeli officials and has not been independently confirmed by Iranian authorities.
- Israel has also claimed responsibility for strikes that killed other senior Iranian figures (including Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani); Iran has officially confirmed Larijani’s and Soleimani’s deaths, and Israel says it has struck Tehran government infrastructure including Mehrabad Airport and parts of the electricity grid.
- Iran and allied groups including Hezbollah have dramatically escalated missile- and drone-fired attacks across the region — launching salvos at Israel (including cluster-type missiles that struck the Tel Aviv area), striking Gulf Arab targets, forcing brief closures of Dubai airspace and disrupting shipping and ports, with Gulf states reporting multiple intercepts and some damage.
- The human cost and displacement have risen sharply: aggregated reporting places civilian deaths at roughly 1,300+ in Iran, about 850–922 in Lebanon, a dozen to mid-teens in Israel, and 13 U.S. service members killed with roughly 200 wounded; more than one million people have been displaced in Lebanon and displacement across Iran and Lebanon is in the millions by some counts.
- Israel says it has carried out thousands of strikes on Iran (Israeli figures cited as about 7,600) and claims a high degree of degradation to Iranian air defenses and missile launchers; Katz has said Israeli commanders are authorized to target named senior Iranian figures without seeking case-by-case political approval and warned of more "significant surprises."
- The conflict has broadened to energy and commercial shipping: attacks on tankers, threats to Gulf energy infrastructure and a de facto disruption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz have pushed Brent crude above $100 per barrel and contributed to higher U.S. gasoline prices.
- The United States is directly involved: U.S. Central Command has reported 13 U.S. service members killed and about 200 wounded; U.S.–Israeli cooperation on intelligence for strikes has been reported; President Trump has publicly endorsed Israeli claims, pressed allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and said he asked multiple countries to send forces, while many European and other nations have declined to commit warships.
- Iranian officials and the IRGC have issued intensified threats — including personalized threats against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — and Tehran has signaled readiness to further escalate (including striking energy assets tied to U.S. companies and keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed to the U.S. and its allies).
📊 Relevant Data
There are approximately 750,000 Iranian Americans in the US as of 2024, comprising about 0.2% of the total US population, with most having arrived after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War due to political upheaval and conflict.
7 facts about Iranians in the U.S. — Pew Research Center
Black individuals comprise 17.6% of active-duty US military personnel in 2023, compared to about 13.5% of the US population, indicating overrepresentation.
2023 Demographics Report — Department of Defense
Households in majority-Black census tracts spend 5.1% of their income on energy, compared to 3.2% for the average household, with this disparity exacerbated during energy price hikes.
Black families are the hardest hit by high energy costs — UPI
Latino households face higher energy burdens, spending a greater share of income on energy compared to the national average, particularly in majority-Latino census tracts during periods of high fuel prices.
Working Latinos Need Relief from High Energy Costs — Progressive Policy Institute
📰 Source Timeline (20)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 18, 2026
11:12 AM
Iran lashes out with missiles as Israel says war still intensifying
New information:
- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly claimed on Wednesday that Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmaeil (Esmail) Khatib was killed in an overnight strike in Tehran and said 'the intensity of attacks in Iran is increasing.'
- Katz said Israeli commanders have been authorized to target any senior Iranian figure pinpointed by intelligence without returning to political leadership for case‑by‑case approval, and warned of more 'significant surprises' across multiple arenas, including against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
- An official in Iran’s Lorestan province said U.S.–Israeli strikes on 'densely populated residential areas' in Dorud County killed 7 people and wounded 56, including civilians and judicial staff.
- Lebanon’s health ministry reported that Israeli strikes on central Beirut neighborhoods (Basta, Zuqaq al‑Blat, Bachoura) killed at least 12 people on Wednesday, while Lebanese officials put the total death toll in the country above 900 and said more than 1 million people — about one‑sixth of the population — have been displaced.
- CBS notes that Iran launched new waves of missiles and drones at Israel and Persian Gulf states on Wednesday, with two people killed near Tel Aviv by falling debris, and that Brent crude remains over $100 per barrel, up more than 40% since the war began, contributing to rising U.S. gasoline prices.
- The article reiterates that National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent resigned Tuesday, stating Iran posed 'no imminent threat' to the U.S., while U.S. efforts to convince other countries to send forces to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz have largely been rebuffed.
10:34 AM
Israel says that Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib has been killed
New information:
- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly stated that the Israeli military has killed Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib.
- Katz warned that “significant surprises are expected throughout this day on all the fronts,” signaling further imminent military actions.
- The article reiterates that the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Khatib and Iran’s Intelligence Ministry in 2022 for cyber-enabled activities and serious human-rights abuses, underscoring his direct role in cyber operations against the U.S. and allies.
10:14 AM
Iran retaliates after Israel kills two top Iranian officials
New information:
- Iranian authorities have now officially confirmed the deaths of Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamrez Soleimani in Israeli strikes.
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says it launched multiple‑warhead (cluster‑type) missiles at the Tel Aviv area overnight March 18, killing a man and woman in their apartment in Ramat Gan and damaging a Tel Aviv train station and other areas.
- Israel struck central Beirut overnight, with officials saying they targeted Hezbollah militants and installations; Lebanese deaths in the war have risen to about 922.
- Updated casualty figures since the Feb. 28 start of the war: roughly 1,300 killed in Iran, 922 in Lebanon, 16 in Israel, and U.S. Central Command reporting 13 U.S. service members killed and about 200 wounded.
- Former Jordanian ambassador Zeid Ra’ad Al‑Hussein is quoted saying Larijani was seen as the key interlocutor for the international community after Khamenei’s killing, and that his death complicates knowing who to talk to within the IRGC.
4:19 AM
The top Iranian officials killed since Iran war's start
New information:
- Provides a consolidated timeline of claimed killings of senior Iranian officials from Feb. 28 through March 17, rather than isolated mentions.
- Lists numerous additional officials Israel says it killed in the opening Feb. 28 strikes, including Ali Shamkhani, IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour, armed forces chief Abdolrahim Mousavi, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Khamenei’s chief military secretary Mohammad Shirazi, IRGC military intelligence chief Saleh Asadi, SPND chair Hossein Jabal Amelian and former SPND chair Reza Mozaffari-Nia, logistics chief Maj. Gen. Mohsen Darebaghi, police intelligence chief Gholamreza Rezaian, and plans-and-operations chief Maj. Gen. Bahram Hosseini Motlagh.
- Adds March 3 claims that Israel killed Majid ibn al-Reza one day after he was appointed as Nasirzadeh’s replacement as defense minister, and that Reza Khazaei of the Quds Force was killed in Beirut.
- Details a March 8 Israeli drone strike on a four-star Beirut hotel that Iran’s UN ambassador says killed Majid Hassini, Ali Reza Bi-Azar, Ahmad Rasouli and Hossein Ahmadlou, all senior IRGC figures in Lebanon- and Palestine-focused units.
- Notes a March 12 IDF claim that Abu Dhar Mohammadi, operations commander in the IRGC’s missile unit within Hezbollah in Beirut, was killed in a strike.
- Clarifies that, as of March 17, Israeli officials say Ali Larijani was attacked in a Tehran safe house and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani was hit in a makeshift headquarters with several top lieutenants.
March 17, 2026
5:55 PM
WATCH: Trump addresses Iran strikes, Kent resignation during St. Patrick's Day visit with Irish Taoiseach Martin
New information:
- Trump, citing Israeli claims, said at the March 17 White House meeting that two top Iranian officials were killed in Israel’s overnight strikes, aligning himself with Israel’s assertion that Ali Larijani and Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani are dead.
- Trump claimed one of the slain officials was responsible for the deaths of '32,000 Iranian protesters in recent weeks,' a number not independently substantiated in the piece.
- Trump summed up the effect by saying 'Their leaders are gone' and calling Iran’s leadership 'an evil group,' while Iran still had not confirmed the deaths.
5:34 PM
Israel kills 2 top Iranian officials in another wartime blow to country's leadership
New information:
- Israel’s defense minister again asserted that Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, head of the Basij, were killed in overnight Israeli strikes, framing it as a major blow to Iran’s leadership, while Iran still has not confirmed either death.
- The article reports that Iran has fired new salvos of missiles and drones at Gulf Arab neighbors and Israel, intensifying a war that shows no sign of abating.
- Dubai briefly shut its airspace for the second time in as many days because of the attacks, highlighting ongoing disruption to one of the world’s busiest transit hubs.
- An Iranian official is quoted saying Tehran has no intention of relinquishing its tight grip on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the risk to global oil flows.
- President Donald Trump is quoted saying that NATO and most other allies have rejected his calls to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is quoted saying the killings are aimed at 'undermining this regime to give the Iranian people the opportunity to remove it,' making the regime‑change framing explicit.
- The piece adds timing and social‑control context inside Iran, noting that the reported killings came on the eve of the Chaharshanbe Souri 'Festival of Fire' and that authorities sent threatening texts and deployed plainclothes men with rifles on motorcycles to deter protests.
2:59 PM
Why the death of Iran's top security official is significant
New information:
- Clarifies that Israel’s defense minister Israel Katz said in a statement that Ali Larijani was 'eliminated' in overnight strikes, but there is still no confirmation from Iran.
- Details Larijani’s current role as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and describes him as one of the most senior regime figures remaining after earlier killings of top leaders including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
- Explains that operational impact of Larijani’s reported death is likely limited short‑term but politically significant, removing one of the few insiders trusted to manage both war strategy and potential political off‑ramps, including quiet contacts with Washington.
- Notes that Larijani recently appeared publicly at an al‑Quds Day demonstration and had issued defiant messages toward President Trump, framing the war as an existential struggle and challenging Muslim countries over their silence.
12:27 PM
Top Iranian official, commander killed in strike, Israel defense minister says
New information:
- Fox quotes an extended, inflammatory passage from Defense Minister Israel Katz, including his claim that Larijani and Soleimani 'have joined Khamenei... in the depths of hell,' underscoring how the killing is being framed domestically in Israel.
- The article highlights an IDF post on X describing Larijani as the regime’s 'effective leader' and personally responsible for overseeing a massacre of Iranian protesters during a recent wave of unrest.
- It notes that a senior Israeli official told Fox the intelligence leading to the strikes was part of joint U.S.–Israeli efforts, sharpening the picture of U.S. operational involvement.
- The piece ties in prior U.S. Rewards for Justice material showing Washington had already been offering up to $10 million for information on Larijani and other IRGC/security leaders.
11:54 AM
Israel kills Iran's national security chief, Israeli defense minister says
New information:
- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly states that Israel assassinated Ali Larijani, identified as Iran’s national security chief and de facto leader for the first 10 days of the war, and Basij paramilitary commander Gholamreza Soleimani in separate strikes.
- An Israeli official says Larijani was killed in a safe house in Tehran, while Soleimani was struck at a makeshift headquarters along with several top lieutenants.
- Israeli officials portray Soleimani as being in charge of crushing protests and say his killing is intended to 'enable a popular uprising' against the regime.
- Sources say Larijani had recently been part of an internal Iranian faction pushing to start peace talks with the U.S., opposed by a camp aligned with Mojtaba Khamenei and IRGC commander Ahmed Vahidi that wanted to continue the war.
- After the reported strike, Larijani’s Telegram channel posted a handwritten message dated March 17 about a commemoration for navy 'martyrs,' and Iranian authorities have still not confirmed his death.
- Israeli officials disagree somewhat on Larijani’s current clout, with one calling him 'the most powerful figure … running Iran' and another saying his power had been waning since Mojtaba was chosen as supreme leader.
11:17 AM
Iran War Live Updates: Top Iranian Official Is Believed Killed, Israel Says
New information:
- Israel’s defense minister is now on record saying Israel believes it killed Ali Larijani in overnight strikes, and four Israeli military officials say they believe he is dead; Iranian authorities and state media have not commented.
- The article gives more detail on Larijani’s role, identifying him as head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, a close confidant of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the de facto manager of Iran’s response after Khamenei’s killing.
- The piece confirms the killing of Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij militia since 2019, and underscores the Basij’s central role in repression and its estimated one‑million‑member size.
- Iran has continued retaliatory attacks on energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf, with Brent crude rising to nearly $104 a barrel—about a 40% increase since the war began.
- A tanker anchored near Fujairah in the UAE was hit by a projectile early Tuesday, the first ship attack in or near the Strait of Hormuz in five days; the tanker suffered minor damage, and at least 17 vessels have been attacked in the region since Feb. 28.
- The article specifies that Germany, Japan, Italy, Australia and the EU have declined to send warships to the U.S. escort effort in the strait, while France, South Korea and Britain remain noncommittal, and notes Trump publicly disparaged these allies on Monday.
- Updated regional casualty counts are provided: at least 1,348 civilians killed in Iran and 886 killed in Lebanon, 12 people killed in Israel, and 13 U.S. service members killed, based on Iran’s UN representative and other officials.
- China’s Foreign Ministry confirms it is 'maintaining communication' with Washington about Trump’s planned visit after he requested a postponement and tied the timing to whether China sends naval forces to help protect Gulf shipping.
10:47 AM
Israel says it killed two top Iranian commanders in targeted strike
New information:
- Israel’s defense minister Israel Katz says Israel carried out a targeted strike in Tehran that killed Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and adviser to the supreme leader, and Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij forces.
- Iran has not yet confirmed the deaths; NPR frames them as Israeli claims, positioning this as the highest-profile assassinations in Iran since the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top leaders on the first day of the war.
- The article updates overall conflict casualties to about 1,300 killed in Iran, 886 in Lebanon and 12 in Israel, and notes U.S. Central Command’s figure of 13 U.S. service members killed and roughly 200 wounded.
- Leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the U.K. issued a joint statement warning that a large Israeli ground offensive in Lebanon could have “devastating humanitarian consequences” and urged immediate de-escalation.
- European governments again rejected President Trump’s call to send naval forces to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, signaling continued resistance to his proposed coalition.
- The piece notes fresh attacks on the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad, projectiles fired in Abu Dhabi and a tanker hit in Oman, underscoring the regional spillover.
March 16, 2026
10:55 PM
As Israel launches Lebanon ground operation, Trump asks allies to help reopen oil route
New information:
- Israel has, for the first time since the Iran war began, launched what it calls 'limited targeted ground operations' in southern Lebanon, aimed at destroying Hezbollah infrastructure near the border.
- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that more than one million people have already evacuated southern Lebanese cities and will not be allowed to return to their homes 'any time soon.'
- Israel admitted striking part of Iran’s electricity grid, claiming the target was colocated with an intelligence center.
- President Trump acknowledged he has directly approached 'half-a-dozen' countries and specifically cited European states and South Korea to send forces to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, while a European official told PBS that no European country is currently willing to deploy military assets in the Gulf while the war continues.
- Trump publicly described Iran as a 'paper tiger' and framed allies’ reluctance as proof that NATO partners will not protect the U.S. when asked, sharpening his long‑running criticism of alliance burden-sharing.
5:47 PM
Israel steps up bombing in Lebanon as Iran keeps stranglehold on shipping
New information:
- Israel has conducted about 7,600 strikes on Iran so far, with an Israeli military spokesman claiming 85% of Iran’s air defenses and 70% of its missile launchers have been knocked out.
- In Lebanon, Israeli strikes have displaced more than 800,000 people and killed roughly 850, with evacuation orders issued for multiple Beirut neighborhoods as well as southern Lebanon.
- Iran carried out a drone strike that temporarily forced the closure of Dubai International Airport, a key global hub, as part of its retaliation campaign.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi publicly stated that from Tehran’s perspective the Strait of Hormuz is 'open' but not for the United States, Israel and their allies, and rejected as 'delusional' any claims Iran is seeking a truce or talks.
- Brent crude oil remains above $100 a barrel as Iranian attacks and threats on commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz slow traffic to a 'trickle,' intensifying global energy‑crisis fears.
8:55 AM
Iran War Live Updates: Trump Pressures Countries to Open Vital Shipping Route
New information:
- The war is now described as entering its third week, updating the timeline from earlier coverage.
- Trump told The Financial Times that NATO members must help reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face a 'very bad' future, escalating his pressure on the alliance.
- Trump said China should help unblock the Strait and threatened to postpone an April summit in Beijing with Xi Jinping if China does not cooperate.
- China’s Foreign Ministry said both sides are still discussing Trump’s trip and stated that China is committed to de-escalation and communicating with 'all relevant parties.'
- Australia’s transport minister said Australia does not intend to send ships to the Strait, indicating reluctance among some allies to participate in maritime operations.
- The report notes Iran is allowing oil shipments to China to pass through Hormuz while other tankers have been attacked by projectiles, suggesting a selective approach to the de facto blockade.
- The Israeli military announced a 'broad wave of attacks' on government infrastructure in Tehran, including renewed strikes on Mehrabad Airport.
- In Iraq, Kataib Hezbollah claimed two drone strikes on a U.S. diplomatic logistics site at Baghdad International Airport; an Iraqi official said both were intercepted.
- Dubai International Airport briefly suspended all flights after a 'drone-related incident' ignited a nearby fuel tank; civil defense teams brought the fire under control and no injuries were reported.
- Authorities in Abu Dhabi reported a missile strike on a civilian vehicle that killed a Palestinian national.
- Updated casualty figures: at least 1,348 civilians in Iran, about 850 people killed in Lebanon, at least 12 in Israel, and 13 U.S. service members killed since the war began.
March 15, 2026
3:17 PM
Iran war rages with no end in sight as gas prices soar
New information:
- Updates the civilian death toll in Iran to at least 1,319 people, including more than 200 children, citing the Human Rights Activists News Agency.
- Reports that the International Organization for Migration is seeing 'increasingly complex mobility patterns' as deteriorating conditions in Iranian cities push people to relocate domestically or flee to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
- Notes U.S. average gasoline prices have climbed to about $3.67 per gallon, up from $2.93 last month, explicitly tying the spike to the effective Hormuz shutdown.
- Quotes U.S. Central Command describing its strikes as 'unpredictable, dynamic, and decisive' and claiming 'U.S. dominance builds over vast swaths of Iran,' rhetoric that signals how the Pentagon is publicly framing the campaign.
- Highlights a new IRGC statement via IRNA threatening to 'pursue and kill' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally.
- Confirms that the war has now reached day 16 with more U.S. troops and warships headed to the Middle East.
7:31 AM
The Latest: Gulf countries report new attacks, a day after Iran warns 3 major UAE ports to evacuate
New information:
- Bahrain sounded sirens ahead of an assault on Sunday; the UAE reported a missile attack and told residents to shelter; and Saudi Arabia reported intercepting 10 drones over Riyadh and its eastern region, marking clear spillover into multiple neighboring Gulf states.
- The IRGC issued a direct, personalized threat against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating that if he is still alive, Iran will continue to hunt and attempt to kill him "with full force."
- Israel’s military reported that Iran had launched a new barrage of missiles toward Israel, with air‑raid sirens in Tel Aviv and loud booms indicating active interceptions.
- Iran’s joint military command alleged that an adversary was using LUCAS drones—described as copies of the Shahed‑136—to strike 'irrelevant targets' in regional states such as Turkey, Iraq and Kuwait, a claim made without supporting evidence.
- UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash publicly denounced the Iranian foreign minister’s accusations about U.S. use of UAE ports, adding a Gulf diplomatic pushback to the military developments.
March 14, 2026
7:45 PM
Iran is receiving ‘military cooperation’ from Russia and China, foreign minister says
New information:
- Araghchi explicitly defends Iranian attacks on neighboring Gulf states and signals Tehran is prepared to escalate by striking energy infrastructure tied to U.S. companies across the region if Iran’s own oil assets are hit.
- He hardens Iran’s stance that the Strait of Hormuz will remain at least partially closed, contradicting any expectation of a near‑term easing.
- He publicly alleges that the UAE is being used as a launchpad for U.S. attacks from densely populated areas, a claim Gulf officials deny.
12:30 PM
Hamas calls on Iran to stop "targeting neighboring countries"
New information:
- Hamas issued its first known public statement calling on Iran to avoid targeting neighboring countries while affirming Iran’s right to respond to U.S. and Israeli attacks.
- A Hamas official told AFP the group has been in contact with Iranian officials and has also reached out to Qatar, Turkey and Iraq to help halt what it calls American and Israeli aggression against Iran.
- The article reiterates updated war tolls: nearly 800 killed in Lebanon, more than 1,200 killed in Iran, and at least 13 U.S. service members killed since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28.
- Qatar said it intercepted two Iranian missiles on Saturday, reported blasts near Doha, evacuated some areas and the U.S. Embassy there ordered remaining emergency staff to shelter in place.
9:30 AM
U.S. military bombs Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export hub, Trump says
New information:
- The NPR article re‑uses and affirms key casualty figures: more than 1,300 killed in Iran, 773 in Lebanon, 12 Israeli civilians and two Israeli soldiers, while freshly integrating the updated U.S. death toll of 13 and eight severely wounded.
- It adds Trump’s new qualitative claims that Iran has been 'decimated,' that 'their country’s in bad shape' and 'collapsing,' alongside Hegseth’s boast of 15,000 targets struck and injury to the new supreme leader, illustrating the administration’s narrative of near‑total success.
- The story reiterates that displacement in Iran and Lebanon is now in the millions, reinforcing the humanitarian scale while top U.S. officials are emphasizing military gains.