Israeli strikes on Friday morning dealt a major blow to Iran’s chain of command by killing three of its top generals, according to Iranian state media and officials.
The Israeli military confirmed the deaths of the three Iranian commanders. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, moved swiftly to replace the military leaders in an apparent bid to project stability and prevent a power vacuum. Iranian state media reported that Ayatollah Khamenei had appointed replacements for the army’s chief of staff and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps — both of whom were killed in the wave of strikes. At least one other top general was killed, according to the Israeli military, a claim that Iran did not immediately comment on.
Two scientists who played leading roles in Iran’s nuclear development were also killed on Friday, according to Iranian state media.
Military Generals
- Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the armed forces and the second-highest commander after Ayatollah Khamenei.
Gen. Hossein Salami, commander in chief of the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s primary military force.
Gen. Gholamali Rashid, deputy commander in chief of the armed forces.
Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh: Israel also said that it killed the head of the airspace unit of the Revolutionary Guards. Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said in a statement that the strike had killed “the majority” of the airspace unit’s top brass as they convened in an underground command center. There was no immediate comment from Iran about that claim.
Nuclear Scientists
- Fereydoun Abbasi, the former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.
- Mohammad Mehdi Tehranji, a theoretical physicist and president of the Islamic Azad University in Tehran.
The vNew York Times