TEHRAN, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday confirmed that Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib was killed in a recent attack.

In a post on social media platform X, Pezeshkian expressed sorrow for the death of Khatib, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, who was killed on Tuesday, Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, who was targeted on Feb. 28, some family members of the officials, accompanying personnel, and multiple members of the military and the Basij forces.

Pezeshkian said the deaths of the Iranian officials and others are "cowardly assassinations."

"I firmly believe that their path will continue with even greater resolve than before," said the Iranian president.

According to the semi-official Mehr news agency, Khatib, 65, had originally been appointed to lead the ministry in 2021 under former President Ebrahim Raisi, and was retained by the incumbent administration. He previously served in the office of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and headed the judiciary's protection and intelligence center.

On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing the country's supreme leader, high-ranking military commanders and civilians. Iran responded through several waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East. ■