March 18, 2026

Israel said it had killed Iran’s intelligence minister, the latest member of Tehran’s top leadership to be wiped out this week. Esmail Khatib was described by Israel as having played a significant role in Tehran’s crackdown on recent protests.

Earlier, the U.S. military dropped 5,000-pound deep-penetrator bombs along Iran’s coast near the Strait of Hormuz to take out hardened sites containing anti-ship cruise missiles, according to U.S. Central Command.

Israel claimed responsibility for killing Iran’s intelligence minister Esmail Khatib, escalating tensions amid Tehran’s harsh crackdown on protests, while the U.S. military launched 5,000-pound bombs near the Strait of Hormuz targeting Iran’s missile sites. Iranian missile strikes heavily damaged central Israel, including Tel Aviv, killing two, as President Trump hinted at abandoning security commitments in the region. Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad faced a new attack, and roughly 200 Ukrainian military experts deployed to the Gulf to assist in countering Iranian drone threats, fueling fears of broader conflict.

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