JERUSALEM, March 2 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military said on Monday that senior leaders of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence were killed in the initial strikes of a joint U.S.-Israeli operation, which is now in its third day.
The military identified the high-ranking officials as Sayed Yahya Hamidi, deputy minister of intelligence and head of the ministry's Israel desk, and Jalal Pour Hossein, head of the ministry's Espionage Division.
Several other officials were also killed in the strike on the ministry's headquarters on Saturday, according to an Israeli statement.
"The elimination of the ministry's senior leadership has dealt a significant blow to the regime's ability to advance terrorist attacks and target opponents within Iran," the military said.
Iran's Ministry of Intelligence is the country's main civilian security agency, responsible for domestic and foreign intelligence. Israel has repeatedly accused it of plotting attacks against Israeli and Western targets.
The strike aimed to dismantle Iran's top leadership, part of a broader Israeli effort to topple the government, which has already claimed the life of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The developments come amid sharply heightened tensions following a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran on Saturday and subsequent retaliatory missile and drone launches by Tehran toward Israel and U.S. assets across the Middle East. ■
