The Middle East is on high alert after Israel confirmed it had killed Iran’s Intelligence Minister, Esmail Khatib, in a precision strike, marking another major escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two nations.

Israeli officials announced that their military has been authorised to target any senior Iranian leader deemed a threat.

“We will continue to thwart them and hunt them all down,” said Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz.

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The Israeli Defense Forces have also vowed to pursue Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has remained largely out of public view since succeeding his father.

Brigadier General Effie Defrin added, “We will track him down, find him, and neutralize him.”

In response, Tehran promised decisive retaliation for the killing of Khatib and other top officials, including Ali Larijani, Iran’s National Security Council Secretary. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called the killings a cowardly act and warned that Iran’s response would be resolute.

“The pure blood of this great martyr… will be a source of honour, power and national awakening against global arrogance,” said Iranian army chief Amir Hatami.

Iran further threatened attacks on energy infrastructure across the Gulf after Israeli strikes targeted its largest gasfield, South Pars, which it shares with Qatar.

The attacks marked the first direct strike on Iran’s energy sector since the war began, prompting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to issue a stern warning.

“The fuel, energy, and gas infrastructures of those who attacked Iran will be burned and turned to ashes at the earliest opportunity,” said a spokesperson for IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that the conflict’s global consequences would affect everyone, regardless of wealth, religion, or race.

He noted that an increasing number of international voices, including European and US officials, view the war against Iran as unjust.

Meanwhile, the US President urged allies to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil and gas passage, as Iran has effectively closed the strait, sending global oil prices soaring.

NATO members are reportedly discussing ways to reopen the waterway.

UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the US over repeated public attacks on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, describing the remarks as “childish” and counterproductive amid growing global tensions.
The conflict has already taken a human toll. Iranian missile strikes killed two people near Tel Aviv, while Israeli and US strikes reportedly killed and injured dozens in multiple locations across Iran. With hundreds displaced and energy markets disrupted, the war continues to send shockwaves through the Middle East and beyond.