Israel Eliminates Iran’s Top Military and Nuclear Leaders/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Israel’s Operation Rising Lion killed Iran’s IRGC chief Hossein Salami, top general Mohammad Bagheri, aerospace commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh, former national security advisor Ali Shamkhani, and senior nuclear scientists. The coordinated airstrikes struck military and nuclear sites in Natanz, Khondab, Khorramabad, and Tehran. These decapitations deliver a major blow to Iran’s military structure and risk triggering strong retaliation.
Israeli Strikes Eliminate Iran’s Top Brass: Quick Looks
- Salami neutralized: Head of IRGC killed, weakening Iran’s ideological-military axis.
- Staff chief Bagheri: Oversaw armed forces; his loss unsettles command chains.
- Missile architect Hajizadeh: Led IRGC Aerospace Force; key in past attacks.
- Diplomatic insider Shamkhani: Once national security chief; brokered Saudi ties.
- Scientists targeted: Killed in bid to slow nuclear advancements.
Deep Look
Operation Rising Lion Hits Senior Leadership
Israel’s largest ever strike inside Iran on June 13, 2025—dubbed Operation Rising Lion—killed four of Iran’s fiercest military figures and key nuclear scientists, marking a sharp escalation in hostilities.
Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami — IRGC Commander
Salami, born in 1960 and leading the Revolutionary Guards since 2019, was Iran’s most powerful military figure after the Supreme Leader. He controlled Iran’s missile and proxy networks, previously orchestrating drone-missile attacks on Israel. His televised inspection of underground missile sites underscored his central role.
Gen. Mohammad Bagheri — Chief of Staff
Appointed in 2016, Bagheri oversaw 500,000 active military personnel. U.S. sanctions labeled him a key enforcer of Iran’s militant foreign policy. He had recently engaged with Saudi officials about nuclear negotiations.
Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh — Aerospace Force Leader
Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC’s missile and drone arsenal, masterminded attacks on U.S. and Israeli interests, including the April 2024 strikes and a raid on a U.S. base in 2020. He was killed alongside senior aerospace commanders in Tehran underground command center.
Ali Shamkhani — Diplomatic Strategist
Once Iran’s national security adviser (2013–2023), Shamkhani played a pivotal diplomatic role, including in rapprochement with Saudi Arabia. Though removed from office, he remained a key insider advising on nuclear negotiations .
Nuclear Scientists Neutralized
The strikes also claimed lives of top nuclear scientists including Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi. Their deaths aim to hamper Iran’s nuclear program and signal Israel’s deep-reaching capabilities.
Immediate and Long‑Term Consequences
- Leadership vacuum: Iran’s military chain of command is destabilized, creating risk of tactical confusion.
- Escalation threat: Iran responded with over 100 drone attacks toward Israel; regional tensions now cresting.
- Diplomatic derailment: The strikes jeopardize current nuclear negotiations and could restart uranium enrichment.
- Precedent set: Israel demonstrated capability for targeted decapitation strikes deep inside Iran.
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