Israel says it killed Iran’s intelligence chief in in a single day strike : NPR

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Israel mentioned on Wednesday it killed Iran's minister of intelligence, Esmail Khatib, in an in a single day strike. Iran has not but commented, but when confirmed it could be the third demise of a high Iranian official in 24 hours.

"Israel's coverage is evident and unequivocal: Nobody in Iran has immunity — everyone seems to be a goal," Israeli Protection Minister Israel Katz mentioned.

Iran launched new missile assaults on Israel concentrating on Tel Aviv in a single day, after it confirmed the deaths of two different high officers: Ali Larijani, who had emerged as a key wartime determine following the killing of Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Gholamreza Soleimani, the top of Iran's Basij paramilitary power.

Iran's international minister, Abbas Araghchi, instructed Al Jazeera that latest killings wouldn't destabilize his nation's management, saying that Iran has "a robust political construction with established political, financial and social establishments."

Israel additionally struck central Beirut in a single day, killing 10 folks. Israel's navy mentioned it was concentrating on Hezbollah militants and installations.

Well being authorities have reported about 1,300 killed in Iran, 922 in Lebanon and 16 in Israel for the reason that battle started on Feb. 28. U.S. Central Command has mentioned 13 U.S. service members have been killed and roughly 200 troops wounded.

Listed here are additional updates from the battle.

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Iran's retaliation | Iran's response to killings | Accounts of Iranians fleeing Iran | Israel strikes Beirut

Iran hits again after the killing of two leaders in Tehran <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1024x683+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbf%2F50%2Fa1b3d1c544279b7216fb7ec76b26%2Fgettyimages-2266617074.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1024x683+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbf%2F50%2Fa1b3d1c544279b7216fb7ec76b26%2Fgettyimages-2266617074.jpg" class="img" alt="An apartment damaged by a missile strike is seen in Ramat Gan, in the outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israel on March 18, 2026." loading="lazy"/> An house broken by a missile strike is seen in Ramat Gan, within the outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday. Ilia Yefimovich/AFP by way of Getty Photographs cover caption

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Ilia Yefimovich/AFP by way of Getty Photographs Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard mentioned it focused the Tel Aviv space Wednesday by firing multiple-warhead missiles, also called cluster munitions.

A person and girl had been killed of their house in Ramat Gan, a suburb of Tel Aviv. The Iranian missile assault additionally induced harm in different components of central Israel, together with a prepare station in Tel Aviv.

Iran's missile assaults throughout the area have been essentially the most deadly in Israel, the place at the least 16 folks have been killed for the reason that battle began.

Iran mentioned the strikes had been "in revenge" for Israel's killing of two high Iranian leaders, Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani, which had been the highest-profile killings in Iran since Israel killed Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and different high management on the primary day of the battle.

Larijani had a protracted profession within the Iranian political higher echelons, having served as parliament speaker and a high adviser to the assassinated supreme chief. Many believed that after the ayatollah was killed, Larijani would succeed him.

He was additionally concerned in talks with the Trump administration earlier than the battle.

"He appeared to be the one one who the worldwide neighborhood may discuss to and now with him having apparently been killed it is tough to see how one speaks to within the IRGC," mentioned Zeid Ra'advert Al-Hussein, a former Jordanian ambassador to the U.S. who's president of the Worldwide Peace Institute. IRGC are the initials for Iran's highly effective paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

Soleimani led the Basij forces for seven years. They seem to be a volunteer paramilitary militia, a department of the Revolutionary Guard, which Israel says was accountable for violently suppressing road protests in opposition to the Iranian authorities earlier this yr.

— Daniel Estrin

Iran's international minister says killings will not destabilize Iran's political system <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1024x683+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbd%2F47%2Fdc4123e749afba6a4a9b40e0c1d1%2Fgettyimages-2266610890.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1024x683+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fbd%2F47%2Fdc4123e749afba6a4a9b40e0c1d1%2Fgettyimages-2266610890.jpg" class="img" alt="Rocket trails are seen in the sky amid a fresh barrage of Iranian missile attacks above the Israeli coastal city of Netanya on March 18, 2026." loading="lazy"/> Rocket trails are seen within the sky amid a recent barrage of Iranian missile assaults above the Israeli coastal metropolis of Netanya on Wednesday. Jack Guez/AFP by way of Getty Photographs cover caption

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Jack Guez/AFP by way of Getty Photographs Within the wake of the killings of the 2 high leaders, Iranian International Minister Abbas Araghchi mentioned Iran's authorities "doesn't depend on a single particular person."

"The presence or absence of a single particular person doesn't have an effect on this construction," Araghchi instructed Al Jazeera tv in an interview aired on Wednesday.

He added: "In fact, people are influential, and every particular person performs their function — some higher, some worse, some much less — however what issues is that the political system in Iran is a really strong construction."

— Rebecca Rosman

NPR speaks to Iranians fleeing into Iraq amid worry and a tightening crackdown <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1024x683+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fba%2F5b%2F136944ef4e1085e2e91604296056%2Fgettyimages-2267050748.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1024x683+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fba%2F5b%2F136944ef4e1085e2e91604296056%2Fgettyimages-2267050748.jpg" class="img" alt="A worker at a market for fuel oil and automotive fuel on March 17, 2026 in Erbil, Iraq. Recent drone attacks in the region have forced some oil refineries here to cease operation, while others continue." loading="lazy"/> A employee at a marketplace for gas oil and automotive gas on Tuesday in Irbil, Iraq. Current drone assaults within the area have pressured some oil refineries right here to stop operation, whereas others proceed. Sedat Suna/Getty Photographs Europe cover caption

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Sedat Suna/Getty Photographs Europe Households fleeing Iran from the Haji Omeran border crossing, positioned between Iran and Iraq, instructed NPR about what they described as widespread worry of talking brazenly, even outdoors the nation.

One girl in her 60s, who requested to not be named due to worry of presidency reprisal, broke down in tears and mentioned she wished latest airstrikes on her border metropolis had killed her, stating that life had change into insufferable between the battle and up to date safety crackdown by Iranian authorities.

A number of folks NPR spoke to described an web blackout, extra checkpoints and Iranian safety forces looking out via folks's telephones.

A 40-year-old man, who lives in a metropolis in jap Iran and requested to not be recognized for worry of presidency reprisal, mentioned he had not too long ago seen safety forces transfer right into a mosque and sports activities stadium, which he mentioned had been an indication of heightened safety measures.

NPR can't independently confirm these accounts. Nonetheless, they echo quite a few testimonies shared with NPR reporters and people documented by human rights teams with sources in Iran.

— Arezou Rezvani

Israel strikes central Beirut and points new warning for southern Lebanon <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1024x683+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff7%2Fee%2F0dba73da4fcab1fd87bca229a3b6%2Fgettyimages-2267015703.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1024x683+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff7%2Fee%2F0dba73da4fcab1fd87bca229a3b6%2Fgettyimages-2267015703.jpg" class="img" alt="MEA commercial airplane is flying above the smoke after an IDF airstrike on March 17, 2026 in Beirut, Lebanon." loading="lazy"/> MEA business airplane is flying above the smoke after an IDF airstrike on Tuesday in Beirut, Lebanon. Adri Salido/Getty Photographs Europe cover caption

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Adri Salido/Getty Photographs Europe Israel struck central Beirut on Wednesday, saying it was concentrating on Hezbollah militants and installations, as Israel's offensive in Lebanon intensified. Lebanon's well being ministry mentioned 10 folks had been killed in two assaults Wednesday morning.

The Israeli navy destroyed a constructing within the Bachoura neighborhood, which it had beforehand focused. Israel had issued an evacuation order for the constructing on social media at about 4 a.m. native time, and the strikes adopted round 5:30 a.m. Bachoura is a residential and business district close to the Lebanese prime minister's workplace and a number of other international embassies in Beirut.

The strikes got here as Israel issued new evacuation orders for components of southern Lebanon. Lebanon's well being ministry additionally condemned Israeli strikes that it mentioned broken three public hospitals in Nabatieh, a significant metropolis within the nation's south.

— Hadeel Al-Shalchi

Daniel Estrin contributed to this report from Tel Aviv, Israel, Hadeel Al-Shalchi from Beirut, Arezou Rezvani from Irbil, in Iraq's Kurdish area and Rebecca Rosman from Paris.