Khamenei urges Iran's President to deny security to “enemies” after Khatib killing

2026-03-20 - 08:20

Shafaq News- Tehran Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Friday called on President Masoud Pezeshkian to reinforce the role of the Ministry of Intelligence following the killing of Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib. In a message carried by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, Khamenei stressed that the minister’s absence must be compensated through “intensified efforts” by officials and staff, so that security is denied to “internal and external enemies and ensured for all our compatriots.” The statement comes amid an escalating conflict that began on February 28 between Iran, the United States, and Israel, which has led to the deaths of other senior Iranian figures, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, with Tehran responding through missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US military positions across the region.