Irans Intelligence Minister Esmaeel Khatib martyred in USIsraeli strike

Iran's Intelligence Minister Esmaeel Khatib martyred in US-Israeli strike

TEHRAN – Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed his sympathy to the public following the U.S.-Israeli assassination of Intelligence Minister Esmaeel Khatib on Tuesday.

"The tragic and cowardly killing of my dear colleagues Esmaeel Khatib, Ali Larijani, and Aziz Nasirzadeh, along with several of their relatives and staff, has brought us great sorrow," Pezeshkian stated in a post on X on Wednesday.

He offered his sympathies to "the noble people of Iran for the loss of two government ministers, the Supreme Council Secretary, and several military and Basji commanders," who perished in the joint U.S.-Israeli precision strikes on Tuesday.

In another statement on Tuesday, Pezeshkian noted that although the loss of Larijani is "painful and unforeseen," the steadfastness of the Iranian populace and "their eventual triumph" will cause the Zionist aggressors to regret provoking a conflict with Iran.

"I am confident their legacy will be pursued with even greater vigor," Pezeshkian added.

On Wednesday, a massive crowd gathered in Tehran for a funeral march to honor Larijani and General Soleimani. The event drew one of the largest turnouts in recent memory, with mourners flooding the capital's thoroughfares since dawn.

Iranian officials have condemned these assassinations as despicable acts and have promised to respond with severe retribution. In a retaliatory move, the IRGC conducted extensive airstrikes overnight, hitting more than 100 positions in Tel Aviv.

On February 28, the U.S. and Israel initiated a major, unjustified assault on Iran, resulting in the martyrdom of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and numerous senior officials. Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh was also killed on the initial day of the joint U.S.-Israeli military aggression.

source: tehrantimes.com