Tehran: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed Wednesday that Iran's intelligence minister, Esmaeil Khatib, was killed in an overnight airstrike in Tehran.

According to Anadolu Agency, Katz announced that "The Iranian intelligence minister Khatib was also eliminated overnight," in a statement released by his office and cited by The Times of Israel news portal.

Katz further stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has "authorized the army to eliminate any senior Iranian figure. without the need for additional approval."

There has been no immediate response from Iran regarding the Israeli claim.