{"id":2581331,"date":"2026-03-18T13:38:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T17:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israel-gives-military-blank-check-to-target-any-iranian-official\/"},"modified":"2026-03-18T13:39:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T17:39:58","slug":"israel-gives-military-blank-check-to-target-any-iranian-official","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israel-gives-military-blank-check-to-target-any-iranian-official\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel gives military blank check to target any Iranian official"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fisrael-gives-military-blank-check-to-target-any-iranian-official%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2581331&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Israel\u2019s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, has given the military a blanket authority to kill Iranian and Hezbollah officials without <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >needing explicit higher\u2011ups\u2019 approval<\/a>, aiming to prevent delays in Operation Roaring Lion against Iran.Katz announced the measure after the military overnight strikes that killed top Iranian intelligence figure Esmaeil Khatib, saying he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorized the directive. The article frames the move as a way to disrupt the Iranian regime and push toward potential regime change, including targeted actions against Iran\u2019s Basij militia and security infrastructure. It also notes broader regional fallout, with Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah leadership in Lebanon and Iranian retaliation near Tel Aviv, highlighting a widening confrontation.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Israeli leadership give military blank check to target any Iranian official without additional approval<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2536399\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/israel\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"219\">Israeli<\/a> Defense Minister Israel Katz has authorized the country&rsquo;s military to kill <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iran\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"100\">Iranian<\/a> and Hezbollah officials without <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/president-trump-calls-on-gop-to-stop-using-his-name-for-fundraising\/\" title=\"President Trump calls on GOP to stop using his name for fundraising\">explicit approval<\/a> from higher-ups.<\/p>\n<p>Katz announced the blanket order as he alerted Israeli residents that the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/telegraphindia.com\/world\/iranian-intelligence-minister-esmail-khatib-killed-overnight-israels-defence-minister\/cid\/2151997\">military had taken out<\/a> top Iranian intelligence official <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4495280\/idf-targets-iranian-minister-khatib-hamas-commander\/\">Esmaeil Khatib<\/a>. Katz said he and Prime Minister <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/benjamin-netanyahu\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"378\">Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> authorized the directive overnight.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4495510\/israel-hits-world-largest-natural-gas-field-iran\/\">Israel hits world&#8217;s largest natural gas field in Iran, escalating energy infrastructure strikes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4495280\/idf-targets-iranian-minister-khatib-hamas-commander\/\">IDF says Iranian intelligence minister Esmaeil Khatib killed in overnight strikes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4495176\/iran-war-nuclear-power-plant-hit\/\">Iran says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/iran-says-projectile-hit-nuclear-power-plant-as-iaea-chief-urges-maximum-restraint\/\" title=\"... says projectile hit nuclear power plant as ...\">projectile hit nuclear power plant<\/a> as IAEA chief urges &#8216;maximum restraint&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The purpose of the authorization is to thwart the possibility of delays in Israel&rsquo;s Operation Roaring Lion against Iran, according to Israeli network <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/liveblog_entry\/netanyahu-katz-authorize-idf-to-take-out-senior-iranian-hezbollah-figures-without-usual-prior-approval-report\/\">Channel 12<\/a>. Katz vowed that there were more &ldquo;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/iran-iraq-us-israel-trump-march-18-2026-d7ca062ba1bf99d1f8dc00c8073cf10f\">significant surprises<\/a>&rdquo; to come as part of the development.<\/p>\n<p>In the past several days, targeted Israeli strikes have assassinated several top Tehran officials, dealing a devastating blow to the Iranian regime&rsquo;s power structure as the war moves well into its third week.<\/p>\n<p>Israeli officials announced on Tuesday morning that their strikes <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4493843\/idf-claims-it-killed-two-top-iranian-officials-in-overnight-airstrikes\/\">killed<\/a> Iran&rsquo;s national security secretary, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4493872\/what-ali-larijani-killing-says-iran-senior-leadership\/\">Ali Larijani<\/a>, and commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps&rsquo;s Basij unit, Gholamreza Soleimani. The overnight strikes also ousted many senior Basij officials and agents across Iran.<\/p>\n<p>The assassinations come as Israel has ramped up its attacks targeting <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4492450\/irgc-calm-fears-israeli-strikes-basij\/\">Basij checkpoints<\/a> and infrastructure. The Guard&rsquo;s Basij unit has notably been targeted in the war, as the paramilitary force has long been seen as the leading military unit behind the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/IDF\/status\/2033827283341824256?s=20\">deadly crackdown<\/a> on Iranian protesters over the winter and behind repression in general against regime dissidents.<\/p>\n<p>The Israeli military is targeting Basij personnel and facilities as the country seeks to weaken the Islamic regime enough to encourage Iranian citizens to topple the power structure.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re undermining this regime in the hope of giving the Iranian people a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/netanyahu\/status\/2033908009533886602\">chance to oust it<\/a>,&rdquo; Netanyahu said in a statement on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4493962\/israel-targeting-basij-leadership-focus-security-infrastructure\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4493962\/israel-targeting-basij-leadership-focus-security-infrastructure\/\">ISRAEL SHIFTS FOCUS TO IRAN&rsquo;S SECURITY INFRASTRUCTURE WITH LATEST BASIJ STRIKES<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Israeli military has also been targeting Hezbollah leadership in Lebanon since the Iran-affiliated terrorist group retaliated against the Israeli attack that killed former Iranian Supreme Leader <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ali-khamenei\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"2865\">Ali Khamenei<\/a> on Feb. 28. Israel and Hezbollah have <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4492174\/israel-lebanon-talks-israel-prepares-invasion\/\">exchanged fire<\/a> as hundreds of thousands of Lebanese civilians flee the country while the airstrikes hammer Beirut.<\/p>\n<p>Overnight, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4495120\/israel-iran-missile-attack-tel-aviv\/\">two people died in Israel<\/a> as a result of Iranian airstrikes near Tel Aviv. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Israel gives army blank check to hit Iranian targets<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3976,"featured_media":2581332,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AP25199622428881.webp?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4551,32404,3823,4671,4505],"class_list":["post-2581331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-foreign-policy","tag-geopolitics","tag-iran","tag-israel","tag-military"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AP25199622428881.webp?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3976"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2581331"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581331\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2581335,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581331\/revisions\/2581335"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2581332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2581331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2581331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2581331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}