Mojtaba Khamenei warns of retaliation after Ali Larijani, Esmaeil Khatib killed in Israeli airstrikes: 'Criminals to pay soon'

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Wednesday warned of Tehran's major retaliation against US-Israel forces after the deaths of security chief Ali Larijani, intelligence minister Esmaeil Khatib, and other senior leaders over the past 48 hours. 

"Criminals have to pay soon for his blood," he said in a sharp statement, specifically referring to security chief Ali Larijani's death.

In that regard, several loud ​explosions have already been heard in ​Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, ⁠with ​some of ​the city's residents receiving phone ​alerts of a hostile aerial threat ​for the first ‌time, a Reuters report said, citing a witness in the city.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday confirmed the death of Tehran's intelligence minister Esmaeil Khatib (alias Esmail Khatib) after Israeli strikes.

Calling it a "cowardly assassination" and offering condolences to his "dear colleagues", he condemned the Israeli strikes as the war between Iran and US-Israel forces nears 20 days.

“The cowardly assassination of my dear colleagues Esmaeil Khatib, Ali Larijani, and Aziz Nasirzadeh, alongside some of their family members and accompanying team, has left us in deep mourning,” Pezeshkian wrote in an X post.

“I extend my condolences to the great people of Iran for the martyrdom of two cabinet members, the secretary of the Shura, and the military and Basij commanders. I am certain their path will continue more steadfastly than before,” Pezeshkian added further.

Khatib is the third major official in Iran's senior administration to be killed in Israel's overnight airstrikes over the last 48 hours after security chief Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani. Serving in the post since 2021, Khatib allegedly "played a significant role during the recent protests throughout Iran, both with regards to the arrests and killing of protesters, as well as shaping the regime’s intelligence assessment", as per the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). 

The airstrikes have already prompted fierce retaliation from Iran in the form of cluster munitions, or missiles with multiple warheads. At least two have died while dozens have been injured in the attacks, especially in Tel Aviv.

Tehran has also reportedly warned Gulf nations that a number of their energy assets—such as oil facilities—were now "legitimate targets" after Israel's attack on its South Pars gas field.

Facilities in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are on a list of assets now at risk of missile strikes, a Bloomberg report said on Wednesday, citing Iran’s semi-official news agency Tasnim.

Iran has already declared that attacks on its energy infrastructure “will not go unanswered", while Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson, Dr Majed Al Ansari, called the Israeli strikes a "dangerous and irresponsible step".

"Targeting energy infrastructure constitutes a threat to global energy security, as well as to the peoples of the region & its environment," he added.

The UAE's foreign ministry echoed this statement in an X post, saying that "targeting energy facilities linked to the Pars field poses a threat to global energy security".

"It also entails serious environmental repercussions and exposes civilians, maritime security, and vital civilian and industrial facilities to direct risks," it added.