Top Iranian Military Officials Killed In Israeli Strike – Select Clips From The MEMRI Archives

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The MEMRI Iran Project delivers vital information and translations connected to the Iran threat originating from Iran, its proxies across the Middle East, and its allies, in Farsi and in Arabic. No other organization provides this unique research. The following are examples from the project's thousands of clips and analysis reports.
On June 13, 2025, Israel carried out an attack targeting top Iranian military officials, military sites, and nuclear facilities. Among those killed were:
IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami
Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri
Armed Forces Deputy Commander-in-Chief Gholamali Rashid
IRGC Aerospace Forces Commander Amir-Ali Hajizadeh
Political Affairs Advisor to Supreme Leader Khamenei and former Secretary General of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani
Former Iranian Nuclear Chief Fereydoon Abbasi
IRGC Qods Force Commander Esmail Qaani
The following are select clips of these top Iranian officials from the MEMRI TV Archives.
IRGC Commander-In-Chief Hossein Salami
May 2025 – IRGC Commander-In-Chief Hossein Salami: If U.S. Or Israel Make Any Mistake, Iran Will 'Open The Gates Of Hell'; Iran Is Ready For War With The U.S. 'At Any Scope' Over Nuclear Issue
In a May 5, 2025 address aired on IRINN TV (Iran), IRGC commander-in-chief General Hossein Salami issued "serious warnings" to Israeli and American officials, stating that if they make any mistakes, Iran will "open the gates of Hell" upon them. Salami said that Iran has made extensive preparations, and any transgression would unleash a "calamity" so severe it would erase the memory of Operations True Promise I and II (Iran's direct missile and drone attacks against Israel in 2024). He warned that Israel could not withstand even a single missile strike on its airport – referring to the May 4 Houthi missile that landed near Ben Gurion Airport - so how could it withstand hundreds or thousands of missiles? Addressing American political officials, Salami said that while Iran prefers to resolve the nuclear issue through diplomacy, it is fully prepared for war at any scale if threatened. He delivered the remarks during a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.
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October 2023 – Commander-in-Chief Of The IRGC General Hossein Salami: Jihad Has Always Been An Inevitable Part Of The History Of Islam; The Zionist Regime Is Like A Dagger Plunged In The Body Of The Islamic World
General Hossein Salami, Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC said in an October 26, 2023 address that aired on IRINN TV (Iran) "Jihad was and still is an inevitable part of the history of Islam." He added that until the Hidden Imam appears, "war against the arrogant oppressors will be an inevitable part of the Muslims life." Salami continued to say that the Zionist regime is like a "dagger" plunged in the body of the Islamic world. He added that "once every so often," the dagger is moved to create a new wound in the Islamic world.
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November 2022 – IRGC Commander-In-Chief General Hossein Salami: We Will Turn The Upcoming 'World War' Into A Graveyard For The Policies Of America, Israel, Saudi Arabia; There Is No Middle Ground; We Must Not Take Jews, Christians As Allies
IRGC Commander-in-Chief General Hossein Salami said in a November 27, 2022 speech aired on Ofogh TV (Iran) that Iran will soon witness the collapse of Israel and that it will turn the upcoming "world war" into a "graveyard" for the policies of America, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and their allies. He said that there is no middle ground and that one must choose between the "front of Islam" and the "front of heresy." He added that the Quran instructs Muslims to "not take the Jews and Christians as allies."
January 2025 – IRGC Commander-In-Chief Hossein Salami Visits Underground Missile Base: The Enemy Might Think That Iran's Missile Production Capability Has Been Cut, But Our Missiles Have Increased
IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami visited an underground missile base in a January 10, 2025 report aired on Channel 2 (Iran). The reporter stated that this is one of "hundreds" of such bases, and claimed that missiles from this based were launched at the Israeli Nevatim Airbase during the September 2024 True Promise II attack. The IRGC Commander-in Chief was accompanied by IRGC Aerospace Force Hajizadeh on the visit. They were seen walking over Israeli and American flags that had been painted on the floors of the missile base. Salami said that while the enemy might be thinking that Iran's missile production capability has been cut, the missiles have actually been updated and their number has increased.
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Iranian Armed Forces Chief Of Staff IRGC General Mohammad Bagheri
September 2023 – Iranian Armed Forces Chief Of Staff Gen. Mohammad Bagheri Delivers Speech While Soldiers Stand In Formation Over A Surface Emblazoned With The Inscription: "Israel Should Be Erased"
On September 25, 2023, Channel 1 (Iran) aired a speech delivered by IRGC General Mohammad Bagheri, who is the Chief of Staff of Iran's armed forces, at the Jamkaran Mosque in southern Tehran. General Bagheri delivered the speech while Iranian soldiers stood in formation over a surface emblazoned with the inscription "Israel should be erased" in Persian and in Hebrew. The speech was at a ceremony in which Iran's armed forces renewed their pledge of allegiance to the Hidden Imam.
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February 2023 – Iran Unveils Underground Airbase; Chief-Of-Staff Mohammad Bagheri: If Iran Is Attacked From Any Country's Soil, We Will Retaliate Against Both That Country and Israel
On February 7, 2023, IRINN TV (Iran) aired a report about Iran's recent unveiling of Oghab-44 Base, an underground "tactical" airbase. According to the report, the base houses fighter jets armed with different types of cruise missiles and precision-guided bombs that can reach targets deep inside enemy territory. The reporter explained that the base and the planes it houses are protected from American bunker buster bombs. He also said that there are dozens of bases of this type and that they can store several month's-worth of fuel and ammunition for the jets. General Mohammad Bagheri, the Chief-of-Staff of Iran's Armed Forces, warned that if Iran is targeted from the soil of any country, that country "will be heavily attacked along with the Zionist regime." General Hamid Vahedi, the commander of the Iran Army Air Force, also spoke about the Assef cruise missile and said that it was developed in order to avoid detection by enemy radar and that its warheads carry a heavy payload that can destroy heavy fortifications.
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February 2022 – IRGC Aerospace Force Unveils The 'Khaybar Smasher', A New Surface-To-Surface Missile
On February 9, 2022, Channel 1 (Iran) aired a report about the IRGC Aerospace Force's recent unveiling of the Khaybar Shekan ("Khaybar Smasher"), a new surface-to-surface missile. According to the report, the missile is an "all-Iranian" strategic long-range precision missile with a range of 1,450 km. The report showed footage of missile testing from a "secret testing site" in Iran. IRGC General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief-of-Staff of Iran's armed forces, told reporters that the enemies of Islam and Iran only understand the language of force. It is noteworthy that the missile's name refers to the battle of Khaybar, in which the Muslims fought the Jews who inhabited the Khaybar oasis and defeated them.
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Armed Forces Deputy Commander-In-Chief Gholamali Rashid
September 2022 – Iran Showcases Arash-2 Suicide Drone, Ground Forces Commander General Kioumars Heydari Explains: This Drone Was Designed Specifically To Strike Tel Aviv And Haifa
On September 9, 2022, IRINN (Iran) aired a report about the Arash-2 suicide drone, which participated in a recent exercise held by the ground forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army. The report showed the Arash-2 on display at an exhibit in Isfahan, and the ground forces' General Commander General Kioumars Heydari was shown telling commander of the IRGC's Khatem Al-Anbiya Central Command General Gholamali Rashid that it has a range of 2000 kilometers and is the best precision-strike drone that exists. In a September 11, 2022 interview aired on Channel 1 (Iran) about the drone, General Heydari said that the drone was specifically designed to strike the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa, and that it belongs to Iran's "framework" for destroying the "child-killing Zionist regime."
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September 2021 – IRGC General Gholamali Rashid: Hizbullah In Lebanon, Hamas And PIJ In Palestine, PMU In Iraq, And The Houthis In Yemen Are All Armies Ready To Defend The Iranian Regime
General Gholamali Rashid, the commander of Khatam Al-Anbiya central headquarters of Iran's armed forces, said that the U.S. and the Zionist regime are angry at Iran's "regional power," because they know that in addition to Iran's local military forces, it now has armed forces in countries beyond its border, who will come to its defense if invaded. He made his remarks in a speech at a ceremony commemorating the Iran-Iraq war that aired on IRINN TV (Iran) on September 25, 2021.
General Rashid said that three months before the "martyrdom" of IRGC Qods Force Commander Qasem Soleimani, he briefed the Iranian joint military command at the Khatam Al-Anbiya central headquarters, saying that he created a "corridor" to the Mediterranean Sea, with six "armies" outside of Iran who will fight on its behalf. He went on to list the forces, saying that in Lebanon there is Hizbullah, in Palestine, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), an army in Syria, in Iraq there is the PMU and Ansar Allah, or the Houthis, in Yemen.
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July 2020 – IRGC Showcases Military Capabilities, Attacks Model Of Aircraft Carrier; Commander-In-Chief Salami: Our Tactical Approach Is 'Entirely Offensive'
On July 28, 2020, Channel 1 (Iran) aired a report about an IRGC exercise in the Strait of Hormuz, called "Great Prophet 14." In the exercise, missiles, helicopters, speedboats, and military divers practiced seizing an aircraft carrier. IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami said that strategically, Iran operates defensively, but that its tactical approach is entirely offensive. General Gholamali Rashid, the commander of the Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said that Iran will swiftly respond to any threats or "destabilizing actions." The report also showed IRGC forces launching missiles and carrying out other aspects of the exercise.
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IRGC Aerospace Force Commander General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh
February 2025 – IRGC Aerospace Force Commander General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh: We Will 'Definitely' Launch Another Missile Attack On Israel, Called 'True Promise III'; Cheap Missiles Are Enough To Hit American Targets Near Us, Of Which There Are Many
In a February 18, 2025 interview with IRINN TV (Iran), IRGC Aerospace Force Commander General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh emphasized that Iran remains strong and has not been weakened. He assured the interviewer that Operation True Promise III, referring to large-scale missile attacks on Israel, will "definitely" take place at the right moment, as Iran does not want to "waste" the legitimate opportunity to carry it out. He explained that Operation True Promise II in October 2024 was limited to 200 missiles due to pressure from government officials, but the next operation will be on a much larger scale. Hajizadeh also stated that there are "enough American targets" around Iran, and these can be struck with cheap missiles, eliminating the need to launch ICBMs from Iran.
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July 2024 – IRGC Aerospace Force Commander General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh: We Crave The Opportunity To Launch 'Operation True Promise II' And Attack Israel Directly Again
IRGC Aerospace Force Commander General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh said in a July 1 address that he and his soldiers "are craving" for the opportunity to launch Operation True Promise II, similar to its April missile and UAV attack on Israel. He said that Iran's "hands are tied," and it does not have the "right circumstances" to act against Israel directly. General Hajizadeh highlighted Iran's direct attacks on American assets, such as the Global Hawk UAV and Ayn Al-Assad airbase. He stressed that Iran is providing weapons to its "dear friends" in Palestine, Lebanon, and elsewhere and that it will do everything in its power to help them. General Hajizadeh stated that the October 7 Al-Aqsa Flood "will lead to a certain Palestinian victory." General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh addressed a group of Palesitnain families of "martyrs" who traveled from Gaza to Iran. Video of his address was posted on SSN.ir (Iran).
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December 2023 – IRGC Aerospace Force Commander General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh On Iran's Involvement In Gaza War: We Did What We Had To Do; Their Only Means Of Defense Used To Be Stones – Now They Have Rockets, Advanced Weapons
General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, spoke in an address before Basij students that was aired on IRINN TV (Iran) on December 1, 2023 about Iran's role in the Gaza war. He said that Iran "has done what it had to do." Hajizadeh explained that in the past, the only means of defense the people of Gaza had were stones, but now they have rockets and advanced weapons and capabilities.
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Political Affairs Advisor To Supreme Leader Khamenei And Former Secretary General Of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani
May 2019 – Admiral Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of Iran's National Security Council: Israel Is Weak, Will Cease to Exist Within 20 Years
Admiral Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said in a May 31, 2019 speech he gave via video at Hamas' Quds Day event in Gaza that Israel is in a state of "weakness and feebleness" and is "on its way to perdition" because the balance of power has changed and because it has been facing defeat at the hands of the Islamic resistance. He said that the people of Palestine will be able to bury Israel's "malicious plan" through their Jihad and their persistence on the "path of truth," and that Palestine will be liberated with Jerusalem as its capital. He added that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that Israel will cease to exist within two decades. This video aired on Mayadeen TV (Lebanon).
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May 2018 – Senior Iranian Official Admiral Ali Shamkhani: We Have No Reason To Change Our Policy; The U.S. Navy Is Scared Of The Iranian Presence In The Gulf
Admiral Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, said that while the U.S. engaged in a "policy of hostility" toward Iran, before the nuclear agreement, after it was signed, and after pulling out of it, "we in Iran will not change our policy - especially our regional policy - unless the interests of the peoples of this region are secured, especially in Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere." Speaking in an Al-Jazeera interview on May 26, Shamkhani said that the Iran presence in the Gulf area "scares the American naval forces." He added that it is Iran's "unwavering policy in the Persian Gulf to respond to any violation and said that "we are ready to confront anyone who wishes to attack us - be it America or any other country."
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Former Iranian Nuclear Chief Fereydoon Abbasi
May 2025 – Former Iranian Nuclear Chief Fereydoon Abbasi: If I Receive Orders To Build A Nuclear Bomb – I Will Do It; We Can Build A Small Nuclear Bomb That Can Destroy A Whole Military Base, And Is Not Classified As A WMD; The Zionists Have A Chance To Leave Now, Whoever Stays Should Be Eliminated
Fereydoon Abbasi, former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, discussed Iran potentially building and detonating a nuclear weapon in a May 26, 2025 interview on SNN.ir (Iran). He said that he has not yet received orders to build a nuclear bomb - but if he does, he will carry them out. Abbasi added that any attacks on production sites would have little impact on the timeline for developing a bomb.
Abbasi stated that now is the time for people to leave Israel, warning that if the "Resistance Front" is threatened, no part of the Zionist regime should be considered immune. He said that all residents are complicit in the Israeli government's actions by remaining there and supporting it, and therefore the "Resistance Front," the Islamic world, and freedom-seeking people worldwide should demand their elimination.
Abbasi said that technological advances now make it possible to build smaller nuclear bombs that may not be classified as weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and could destroy just a military base, unlike the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He also warned the U.S., England, and Israel that an attack might not come via missile or aircraft but from within. He said: "The West is vulnerable to beasts of its own creation," referencing groups like ISIS, which he claimed were created by the West.
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November 2024 – Former Head Of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Fereydoon Abbasi: We Should Enrich Uranium To Over 90%, Build Particle Accelerators, Conduct Radiation Tests, And Manufacture Nuclear Engines For A Strategic Navy
In an interview on Channel 1 (Iran) on November 20, 2024, Fereydoon Abbasi, former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, stated that if European nations continue to fail in honoring their commitments, Iran should consider enriching uranium beyond 90% for small reactors using highly-enriched fuel. He called for conducting high-level neutron calculations and measurements, sending a clear message to the United States that Iran will not back down. While claiming that Iran does not seek weapons of mass destruction, Abbasi emphasized the necessity of nuclear capabilities to advance in the space sector, including launching satellites and space shuttles. He also highlighted the strategic importance of developing small nuclear reactors for use as nuclear propellants for seacraft. Abbasi acknowledged that such actions might lead to new sanctions, but argued that Iran has little to lose, given its current accusations of providing missiles and UAVs to Russia.
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April 2021 – Former Chief Of Iran's Nuclear Organization Fereydoon Abbasi: April 11 Natanz Blast Caused By Sabotaged Electric Distribution System, Backup Batteries; July 2020 Explosion Caused By Booby-Trapped Table
Fereydoon Abbasi, chairman of the Majles Energy Committee and former chief of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said that the recent explosion in the Natanz nuclear facility was caused by a sabotaged electricity hub. He made these remarks in an interview that aired on channel 3 (Iran) on April 12, 2021, one day after the explosion. Abbasi said that it was the electricity distribution system, supplying electricity to the centrifuge assembly hall 40-50 meters underground that was targeted along with the batteries that were supposed to maintain electric supply in case of a power outage. Abbasi complimented "the enemy" on their "brilliant" plan, saying it was well-thought out.
Regarding the July 2020 explosion at the facility, he said that the explosives that had caused the blast were planted in a heavy table on which the centrifuges were balanced. He said that given the way in which the explosives were planted, it would have been impossible to detect them with an ordinary x-ray scan. Abbasi lamented that the enemy recruits people who are weak and do not believe in patriotic identity to carry out sabotage operations against Iran.
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IRGC Qods Force Commander Esmail Qaani
December 2022 – IRGC Qods Force Commander General Esmail Qaani: Palestinian Attacks In The West Bank – Our Response To American, Zionist Pressure On Our Divine Regime; Our Main Enemies Are The U.S. And Israel; KSA And The Rest Are Scumbags
IRGC Qods Force Commander General Esmail Qaani said in a December 20, 2022 address aired on Channel 1 (Iran) that Iran's main enemies are America and Israel, whereas Saudi Arabia and the rest are "scumbags," rather than worthy enemies. General Qaani was speaking at a memorial ceremony for Qods Force General Hassan Irlou, Iran's ambassador to the Houthi regime in Yemen, who died of COVID-19 a year ago. He added that Iran's enemies are being "smacked" on a daily basis, and that anti-Israeli Palestinian attacks in the West Bank where in response to the pressure exerted by Iran's enemies. He added that Israelis ignored his advice following the killing of Qasem Soleimani to sell their homes, and now the price of their properties has plummeted.
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April 2022 - IRGC Qods Force Commander General Esmail Qaani: Israel Is A Cancer That Must Be Annihilated; The Jews Should Go Back Where They Came From
IRGC Qods Force commander General Esmail Qaani said in an April 29, 2022 International Quds Day address at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, Iran that Israel is made up of people who have nothing to do with the land of Palestine, who have violence as part of their very being, who have killed and deported the native Palestinian population, and who were given the name "the Jewish people" by those who brought them to Palestine. He said that these people are at the root of all strife in the world and, citing the Islamic Republic of Iran's founder and previous leader Ruhollah Khomeini, he said that Israel is a "cancerous growth" that must be "erased." General Qaani also said that the Jews living in Israel should return to their countries of origin, and that International Quds Day will continue until Israel is annihilated. In addition, he said that the "resistance axis" is stronger than ever before. General Qaani has served as the commander of the IRGC's Qods Force since the former commander, General Qasem Soleimani, was killed in a U.S. airstrike on January 3, 2020. The speech aired on Khorasan Razavi TV (Iran).
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December 2021 - IRGC Qods Force Commander General Esmail Qaani: We Will Shatter America's Teeth If It Makes The "Slightest Mistake"; Our Goal Is To Establish The Hidden Imam's Global Rule
IRGC Qods Force Commander General Esmail Qaani said in a December 2, 2021 speech that aired on Ofogh TV (Iran) that gone are the days of "hit and run," when the enemies of Islam and the Iranian Revolution could do as they pleased in the world, and that now they must prepare to "take a beating." He said that the U.S. still has time to choose to withdraw from the region of its own accord, lest it be driven out like it was from Afghanistan. He warned that if the Americans make "the slightest mistake," they will be "punched in the mouth so hard that their teeth will shatter." He emphasized that Iran's ultimate goals are to eliminate U.S. presence in the region and to establish the global rule of the Hidden Imam. The audience chanted: "Allah Akbar! [...] Death to America! [...] Death to Israel!"
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