Israel targets key military and nuclear figures, killing three of Iran’s top leaders

Iran’s top military official, the leader of the elite Revolutionary Guards Corps, along with a former national security chief, have all perished in Israel’s unprecedented Operation Rising Lion.

Their deaths are likely to create significant upheaval within the nation’s military framework and could severely limit the Islamic Republic’s capacity to retaliate against Israeli assaults. Here’s what you should know about the three individuals.

Major General Hossein Salami

As the leader of the clandestine Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Major General Hossein Salami was among the most influential figures in Iran, overseeing its most formidable military branch and reporting directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Born in 1960, as noted in a US sanctions document, Salami has been at the helm of the IRGC since 2019.

This role placed him in charge of one of the Iranian state’s most powerful instruments, which has played a crucial role in suppressing dissent domestically and extending Iran’s influence internationally. Analysts indicate that the IRGC finances and supports an extensive network of militias throughout the region, which it employs to target US and other military forces across the Middle East.

Additionally, the IRGC is thought to supply resources and assistance to Yemen’s Houthis, allowing the group to attack international shipping in the Red Sea and launch missiles and drones at Israel. Salami was leading the IRGC during Iran’s launch of hundreds of drones and missiles aimed at Israel in April and October of the previous year, marking the first direct assaults by Iran on Israeli soil.

In footage broadcast by Iranian state media in January, Salami was shown inspecting what was reported to be an underground military facility involved in those strikes. Dressed in a green military uniform and sporting a short beard, Salami saluted soldiers within the expansive underground complex and walked over flags of the United States and Israel laid on the ground. The facility was reportedly producing “new special missiles,” according to the semi-official Iranian media outlet Mehr News.

Salami was in charge when the IRGC shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane shortly after its departure from Tehran’s international airport, resulting in the deaths of all 176 individuals aboard. An unnamed commander of the IRGC who operated the Tor M1 surface-to-air missile system that brought down the aircraft received a 13-year prison sentence, as reported by Iran’s Mehr news agency.

CNN security analyst Beth Sanner remarked that removing Salami would be comparable to eliminating the US chairman of the joint chiefs of staff: “You can imagine what Americans would do,” she stated.

Major General Mohammad Bagheri

Since 2016, Mohammad Bagheri has held the position of chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, which the IISS estimates could mobilize over 500,000 active personnel. The General Staff is described as “the most senior military body in Iran, which implements policy and monitors and coordinates activities within the armed forces,” according to a US Treasury document detailing sanctions against Bagheri in 2019.

Bagheri was sanctioned alongside nine others closely associated with Ayatollah Khamenei “who have for decades oppressed the Iranian people, exported terrorism, and advanced destabilizing policies around the world,” the document indicated. Images released by Iran’s Tasnim news agency depicted him allegedly meeting with Iranian troops engaged in combat alongside government forces in Syria in 2017. In April, Bagheri met with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud in Tehran, marking a rare visit by a senior Saudi royal to the Islamic Republic.

The following month, Reuters reported that during the meeting, the Saudi defense minister issued a warning to Bagheri: he should take President Donald Trump’s proposal for a nuclear agreement seriously, as it offers a means to mitigate the risk of conflict with Israel.

Ali Shamkhani

Ali Shamkhani was a close advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and represented Tehran in negotiations that resulted in a significant agreement to restore diplomatic relations with the adversary Saudi Arabia. The Iranian state television network IRINN confirmed his passing following Israel’s unprecedented attacks on Friday.

Shamkhani held the position of the country’s top national security official for a decade starting in 2013 and previously occupied several key roles, including within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the defense ministry. He was recognized as a rising figure in Iranian diplomacy, well-known in foreign policy circles in Washington and Europe.

Shamkhani represented Iran in talks facilitated by China with Saudi officials, which culminated in the two nations agreeing to re-establish diplomatic relations after years of animosity. However, he was unexpectedly replaced in mid-2023. Experts describe the former national security chief as ambitious, with a broad portfolio. He ran for president in 2001 and held significant positions in the IRGC and the defense ministry. At that time, some analysts speculated that Khamenei might have considered him overly ambitious.

Nevertheless, he continued to be a close advisor to the supreme leader and provided counsel as Iran re-engaged in nuclear discussions with the administration of US President Donald Trump.

In April, just days before negotiations with the US, he cautioned that Tehran could expel UN nuclear inspectors and halt cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) if it perceived a threat.