Top Iranian military commanders killed in Israeli strikes: Who were they?
Israeli strikes on Friday morning dealt one of the most severe blows to Iran's military and nuclear leadership in decades, killing a number of the country's top military commanders, nuclear scientists, and political figures. Iranian state media, senior officials, and international news outlets, including The New York Times and Associated Press, confirmed the deaths.
Here are the key figures killed in the strikes:
Bagheri was the highest-ranking military official in Iran. He oversaw both the regular army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). A veteran of the Iran-Iraq War, Bagheri was regarded as a top military strategist and intelligence expert.
Appointed as the Chief of Staff in 2016, he had advanced academic degrees in engineering and political geography.
He was reportedly killed during a precision Israeli airstrike in Tehran, part of a broader attack on Iran's military and nuclear infrastructure. Iranian state media confirmed his death, though there was no immediate acknowledgment from Iran's armed forces.
As head of Iran's most powerful military force, the Revolutionary Guard, Salami played a central role in foreign operations across the Middle East, including in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. He was known for his aggressive anti-Israel rhetoric and threats toward the United States.
Appointed in 2019 by Ayatollah Khamenei, Salami's leadership coincided with heightened tensions following the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal. After the US killed Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani in 2020, Salami warned as per Iran Front Page, 'If you harm a hair of an Iranian's head, the Iranian military will give a crushing response.'
He was confirmed dead by both Iranian state television and Israeli sources.
Rashid was a key military strategist and head of the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, which coordinates operations between Iran's regular army, the IRGC, intelligence services, and missile divisions.
He was widely viewed as a mastermind behind Iran's regional deterrence strategies and drone warfare capabilities. Iranian state media confirmed that he was killed in the same strike that targeted other senior officials.
Shamkhani was a former secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and a close aide to Ayatollah Khamenei. He played a significant role in Iran's nuclear diplomacy, heading backchannel talks with the United States.
He died after being critically injured in a missile strike on his penthouse apartment in northern Tehran.
These killings come amid an escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, with Israel's military confirming the coordinated strike was meant to disrupt Iran's strategic and nuclear command. Iranian officials have vowed retaliation, and regional tensions remain at a boiling point.
(With inputs from The New York Times, The Associated Press)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scroll.in
24 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
Iran retaliates with missile attacks on Israel
Iran on Saturday retaliated with missile attacks on Israel a day after Tel Aviv struck what it claimed were Iranian nuclear targets and also on other sites with an aim of stalling Tehran's nuclear programme. The retaliatory attack also came amid Israel Defense Forces' second wave of strikes in Iran, including on a nuclear plant in Isfahan. Air raid sirens sounded across Israel as Iranian missiles struck. Explosions were heard in Jerusalem, BBC reported. A high-rise building was hit in central Tel Aviv and an apartment block was destroyed in nearby Ramat Gan city, Reuters reported. While the Israeli military confirmed the Iranian attack, the number of casualties was not immediately clear. Amid the second wave of strikes by Israel, explosions were heard in the Iranian capital Tehran, including one at the Mehrabad airport, state-backed Mehr news agency reported. The casualties in Iran were not immediately clear. In a televised address to the nation broadcast amid the retaliation, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the country's military was prepared to counterattack. 'Don't think that they [Israel] hit and it's over. No,' Khamenei said. 'They started the work and started the war. We will not allow them to escape safely from this great crime they committed.' Khamenei had on Friday vowed to respond to the Israeli attack. The Israeli Defense Forces on Friday hit sites in Tehran, Kermanshah and Tabriz, among other cities. Iran's main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz was among the targets that were hit. At least 78 persons were killed and 320 injured in the Israeli strikes on Friday, state-run Islamic Republic News Agency quoted Sa'eed Iravani, Iran's envoy to the United Nations, as saying. Iranian military chief Mohammad Bagheri and Hossein Salami, the chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, were among those killed in the attack. Claiming that Iran was 'closer than ever to obtaining' a nuclear weapon, Tel Aviv said on Friday that it had 'no choice but to fulfil the obligation to act in defence of its citizens'. Iran has for long maintained that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
28 minutes ago
- First Post
Israel-Iran conflict videos: Lebanese, Palestinians celebrate as Tehran's missiles hit Tel Aviv
Videos shared by Iranian media on X show Palestinians erupting in joy on the streets, flashing victory signs and raising slogans read more Israel's air defenses fended off many of the more than 100 missiles launched. Source: AP People in Palestine, Lebanon and Yemen rejoiced Friday (June 13) as Tel Aviv was hit by a barrage of ballistic missiles by Iran at Israel. Videos shared by Iranian media on X show Palestinians erupting in joy on the streets, making victory signs and raising slogans. Some could be seen with mobiles in their hands as they captured Iranian missiles and drones lighting up the skylines. #BREAKING Palestinians rejoice as Iran carries out retaliatory strikes against Israel. — Tehran Times (@TehranTimes79) June 13, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Another video shows people in Lebanon celebrating Iranian strikes as they take part in a bike rally, with many people holding flags in their hands and chanting slogans. #BREAKING Lebanese celebrate Iran's retaliatory missile operation against Zionist regime — Tehran Times (@TehranTimes79) June 13, 2025 Earlier, US media reported that giant screens were erected in Yemen for a jubilant crowd to watch Iranian strikes on the Jewish nation. Tel Aviv hit by Iranian missiles On Friday, loud warning sirens rang across Israel as Iran launched many ballistic missiles in response to Israel's overnight airstrikes. A few hours later, Iran sent another round of missiles toward Israel. Some of these missiles got past Israel's missile defence system, causing damage and injuries, but the full scope of the destruction is still unclear. In the first attack, Iran fired around 100 missiles in two waves, according to officials. Israel's missile defence system, called the Iron Dome, stopped most of these missiles, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. However, a few missiles hit buildings due to some failures in the defence system. In the second wave, dozens more missiles were fired, and the IDF reported that while some were stopped, others got through. Videos shared on social media, confirmed by The New York Times, showed a missile hitting an area with several military sites, including the IDF's main command centre. The footage suggests that at least one Iranian missile broke through Israel's air defences and struck an important military site in central Tel Aviv. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Israel carried out large airstrikes on Iran on Friday, targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities and aiming to eliminate key military leaders. Media reports say the surprise attack killed at least 20 senior Iranian commanders, including the leader of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. Six nuclear scientists were also confirmed killed in the strikes.
India.com
28 minutes ago
- India.com
Israel-Iran war: Trump warns Iran again, says, 'Attacks from Israel will only...., Ayatollah Ali Khamenei can't have...'
Israel-Iran war: Trump warns Iran again, says, 'Attacks from Israel will only...., Ayatollah Ali Khamenei can't have...' US President Donald Trump said that he is 'not concerned' about a regional war breaking out after Israel targeted and destroyed Iran's military and nuclear sites, while also killing its top nuclear scientists and commanders. President Donald Trump again urged Iran to reach a nuclear deal with US, warning attacks 'will only get worse!'. Trump said that Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and that the United States was hoping to get back to the negotiating table. His statement came following large-scale airstrikes launched by Israel against Iran on June 13. In a conversation with Fox News, Donald Trump said, 'Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb and we are hoping to get back to the negotiating table. We will see. There are several people in leadership that will not be coming back.' US President Donald Trump had previously warned that Israel or US could launch airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities if negotiators failed to reach a deal on Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday disclosed that the large-scale military operation against Iran, codenamed 'Operation Rising Lion', was authorised over six months ago, in November 2024, and was initially scheduled for April 2025. In a recorded speech in Hebrew, the prime minister provided updates about the operation to citizens. Netanyahu said the offensive, aimed at dismantling Iran's nuclear capabilities, was initially scheduled for April 2025 but was postponed due to operational considerations.
