Israel carried out a series of targeted airstrikes across Iran this morning, killing several of the country’s top military commanders and nuclear scientists in what appears to be the most ambitious Israeli operation on Iranian soil to date. The attacks, focused on crippling Iran’s nuclear programme and disrupting its military leadership, have sharply raised fears of a full-scale regional war.
Among the dead is General Hossein Salami, commander in chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), according to Iranian state media. Salami had played a central role in overseeing Iran’s support for proxy groups such as Hezbollah.
The chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, is also believed to have been killed. Iranian reports additionally confirmed the death of General Gholamali Rashid, deputy commander of the armed forces and head of the Khatam al-Anbia central command.
Bagheri is the commander in chief of the armed forces, and the second highest commander after the supreme leader, according to the New York Times. The audacious Israeli strikes are a major blow to Iran’s chain of command, with three top-ranking senior commanders neutralised in a matter of hours, just like the targeted assassinations that crippled Hezbollah’s chain of command a few months ago.
Two prominent nuclear scientists, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi and Fereydoun Abbasi, were killed in targeted strikes on their residences in Tehran. Abbasi was previously head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran and had survived an earlier assassination attempt. The physicist Tehranchi had been involved in advanced nuclear research. Nour News, affiliated with Iran’s security apparatus, reported that Ali Shamkhani, a key figure in nuclear negotiations and a close adviser to the supreme leader, was seriously injured in a strike on his home and is currently hospitalised.
The strikes began with a first wave targeting the homes and headquarters of senior military and scientific figures, before expanding to key military installations and nuclear facilities. According to Israeli and Iranian sources, the Natanz uranium enrichment facility was among the sites attacked. Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, confirmed that the agency was in contact with Iranian officials over radiation levels and described the situation as “deeply concerning.”
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Military bases and strategic locations in at least six Iranian cities were hit. In addition to Tehran, strikes were confirmed in Natanz, Isfahan, Arak, Kermanshah and Tabriz. Explosions were reported near a nuclear research centre and two military sites in Tabriz. The Parchin military complex near Tehran, long suspected of hosting nuclear-related activities, was also reportedly targeted.
Iran’s armed forces spokesman, General Abolfazl Shekarchi, vowed retaliation, stating on state television that Iran’s response would be “forceful” and that Israel and the United States would “receive a slap.”
In a brief but pointed statement read on state television, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Israel “should anticipate a harsh punishment.” Acknowledging the loss of senior commanders and scientists, Khamenei declared, “The strong hand of the Islamic Republic will not let them go.” While he did not mention the United States directly, Iranian officials have indicated they view Washington as complicit.