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Iran’s top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has held the position since 1989 and strengthened Iran’s control while fostering hostility toward the U.S. and Israel, was killed at age 86 in a U.S.-Israeli airstrike on his compound on February 28. His lengthy tenure was characterized by consolidating power through Iran’s security forces and expanding Iran’s regional influence, despite ongoing conflicts over its nuclear program with Western nations.
Prominent officials also fell during this wave of strikes. Ali Larijani, the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and a seasoned political figure, was killed at 67 in a U.S.-Israeli attack in the Pardis area on March 17, alongside his son and one of his deputies, according to Iranian reports. A former Revolutionary Guards commander and nuclear negotiator, Larijani was a close confidant of Khamenei and played a vital role in shaping Iran’s security and foreign policy.
Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib was also targeted and killed in an Israeli strike on March 18. Known as a hardline cleric and politician, he worked directly in Khamenei’s office and was mentored by him before leading Iran’s civilian intelligence agency in August 2021.
Ali Shamkhani, a close advisor to Khamenei and a key player in Iran’s security and nuclear strategy, was eliminated in U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28. He had previously survived an attack on his home during the June 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran.
High-ranking military leaders also lost their lives. Mohammad Pakpour, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was assassinated during the February 28 attacks in Tehran, according to Iranian state media. He rose through the ranks to lead the IRGC following the death of Hossein Salami in June’s conflict.
Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, a career Air Force officer, was also killed in the February 28 assaults targeting senior leadership in Tehran. He was a key figure in military planning and defense policy. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the armed forces chief of staff, was murdered during what Iranian media described as a senior leadership meeting in Tehran on the same day. He was responsible for coordinating military branches and overseeing conventional forces.
Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force, was eliminated in U.S.-Israeli strikes on March 17, according to Iranian state sources. As a senior Revolutionary Guards officer, he led the force responsible for domestic security and enforcing government authority.
Additionally, Behnam Rezaei, the navy intelligence chief of the Revolutionary Guards, was killed in an Israeli strike in Bandar Abbas on March 26, with Israel stating he was responsible for regional intelligence collection.
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