Foreign
US-Israel war on Iran: Iran confirms killing of intel minister in third assassination in two days
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has confirmed that Israel killed Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib in an overnight attack, marking the third assassination of a high-ranking Iranian official in two days.
The announcement on Wednesday comes hours after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz claimed the Iranian minister had been killed.
Iranian security chief Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij paramilitary force, were also killed in Israeli air strikes on Tuesday.
Pezeshkian condemned the “cowardly assassination of my dear colleagues”, saying they “left us heartbroken.” In a post on X, he added that their “path will continue stronger than before.”
Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim, reporting from the occupied West Bank, said Israeli military analysts regarded Khatib as having been a trusted figure close to Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.
“According to Israeli sources, they said they have been gathering intelligence that allowed them in the past 24 hours to declare the deaths of three senior Iranian officials,” Ibrahim said.
Katz also announced that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had given the Israeli military standing authorisation to eliminate other senior Iranian officials in their sights without case-by-case approval.
“This is seen as another success from the Israeli perspective in targeting the Iranian leadership,” she said.
Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall said, “In terms of his credentials, he ‘ticked every box’ in Iran, having graduated from the influential seminary in Qom and previously studied under the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.”
“So he was really one of the top clerics, and he even has the title, Proof of Islam, one of the highest titles in the country. “He is really well placed, religiously, ideologically and with decades of experience in the circles of intelligence, particularly civilian intelligence,” Vall added.
“He’s a man whose killing, no doubt about it, will cause a dent to the remaining structure of the regime, the government. So that is what the Israelis are counting on,” he concluded.
The US Department of State offered a $10m reward on Friday for information about Iran’s new supreme leader and other top officials, including Khatib.
A funeral ceremony for Larijani and Soleimani was held in Tehran on Wednesday, according to Press TV, as officials and mourners gathered to honour the two figures.
Larijani had been one of Iran’s most influential political operators, having previously led its nuclear negotiations with the West and served as speaker of parliament.
In an interview with Al Jazeera aired after the killing of Larijani was confirmed by Tehran on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the United States and Israel had yet to realise that Iran’s government does not rely on a single individual.
Israel has assassinated adversaries for years
Numerous Hamas leaders inside and outside Gaza have been assassinated, following a pattern of assassinations of Palestinian leaders stretching back decades.
Hamas representatives who have been confirmed killed by Israel in the more than two years of the genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza include the group’s top political leader Yahya Sinwar; military commander Mohammed Deif, one of the founders of the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, in the 1990s; and political chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Iran’s capital, Tehran.
Longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon and former Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed Rahawi in Yemen have been killed, and Israeli officials have signalled that such strikes will continue.
Since launching their war on Iran on February 28, Israel and the United States have systematically removed much of Iran’s top tier of military and political leaders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the opening day of the war along with several of his family members.
United States President Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of the U.S. electoral system, warning that the country could face serious consequences if election reforms are not introduced.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, he claimed that American elections are “rigged” and have become a global embarrassment, arguing that urgent changes are needed to restore trust in the system.
He called on Republicans to rally behind a proposed electoral overhaul he referred to as the “Save America Act,” which he described as crucial to protecting democracy in the United States. According to him, the bill would strengthen voting integrity through measures such as mandatory voter identification and proof of citizenship.
Trump also proposed restrictions on mail-in voting, saying it should only be allowed in limited cases such as illness, disability, military service, or travel. He argued that mail-in ballots are vulnerable to abuse and compromise election integrity.
He further warned that he would not endorse any Republican who opposed the bill and urged lawmakers to support it regardless of party affiliation. Trump also suggested that opposition to the proposal would be politically damaging in future elections.
Observers note that the proposal is expected to spark debate, particularly given ongoing disagreements in the U.S. over voting rights, election security, and the balance of authority between federal and state governments.
The 31-year-old man, Cole Allen, who reportedly opened fire during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday night, has told investigators that he deliberately targeted officials of the President Donald Trump administration, according to senior federal law enforcement sources familiar with the case.
Allen allegedly confessed after his arrest on Saturday night that his intention was to “shoot Trump administration officials,” investigators disclosed, according to Fox News.
The incident occurred at the Washington Hilton, where Allen reportedly forced his way through a Secret Service security checkpoint while armed with a shotgun, a handgun, knives, and other weapons.
He subsequently opened fire, hitting a Secret Service officer, whose ballistic vest prevented fatal injuries.
Law enforcement agents at the scene returned fire, but Allen was not struck. Both the injured officer and the suspect were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
In the aftermath of the shooting, operatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), alongside local law enforcement, moved swiftly to secure Allen’s residence in Torrance, California.
Officials said efforts were underway to obtain a federal search warrant to examine the property for further evidence.
According to the White House, new details have emerged suggesting that Allen may have communicated his intentions prior to the attack.
His brother reportedly alerted the New London Police Department after receiving what authorities described as a manifesto outlining the suspect’s motives.
Investigators said the document explicitly referenced plans to target members of the Trump administration.
Officials also pointed to Allen’s social media activity, which allegedly contained anti-Trump and anti-Christian sentiments.
Reacting to the development during an interview with Fox News, Trump described the suspect as deeply disturbed.
“The guy is a sick guy,” Trump said. “When you read his manifesto, he hates Christians. That’s one thing for sure.
“He hates Christians, a hatred. And I think his sister or his brother actually was complaining about it. You know, they were even complaining to law enforcement. So he was, he was a very troubled guy.”
Further insight into Allen’s behaviour was provided by his sister, Avriana Allen, who spoke with both the Secret Service and local police in Rockville.
She reportedly told investigators that her brother frequently made extreme statements and spoke about carrying out actions to “fix” societal problems.
She also revealed that Allen had legally purchased firearms, including two handguns and a shotgun, from a dealer identified as Cap Tactical Firearms.
According to her account, the weapons were stored at their parents’ residence without their knowledge.
Avriana added that her brother regularly practised shooting at gun ranges and was associated with a group known as “The Wide Awakes.”
She further disclosed that he had participated in a “No Kings” protest in California at some point prior to the incident.
The shooting has heightened concerns about security at high-profile political events in the United States, particularly those attended by senior government officials and members of the press.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing as they work to piece together the full scope of Allen’s motives and potential affiliations.
Foreign
“Our Girls Are Sleeping With Foreigners, They Must Leave” — Emotional South African Man Sparks Outrage with Xenophobic Rant
A video circulating on social media shows a man in South Africa expressing strong anti-foreigner sentiments, in remarks that have sparked concern over rising xenophobic tensions.
In the footage, the man appears visibly emotional as he complains about the presence of foreigners in the country, claiming that “our girls are sl33ping with foreigners” and insisting that they “have to leave.” He also warns that foreigners “must never think they can control” local communities.
This is coming amid xenophobic raids carried out by South Africans against mainly Black immigrants in the country.
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