The Israeli attacks during this Friday have deeply impacted Iran’s power structure. At least three senior generals, an influential politician, and two scientists linked to the Iranian nuclear program were killed in the bombings, according to The New York Times, citing Iranian state media and official sources.
The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, promptly responded by appointing substitutes to the top military positions, in a strategy aimed at strengthening internal stability and preventing potential tensions in the chain of command.
The offensive has been considered one of the most severe blows against the Iranian military structure.
Losses in the military high command
The Israeli army reported the death of Major General Mohammad Bagheri, who held the position of Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces and was considered the second most powerful figure in the country after the ayatollah. His replacement was announced by the state agency IRNA, which confirmed the appointment of Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi as his successor.
General Hossein Salami, Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was also shot down, Iran’s main military force. In his place, General Mohammad Pakpour was appointed.
Other military casualties included General Gholamali Rashid, who was the deputy commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, and General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, leader of the aerospace unit of the Revolutionary Guard. The magnitude of the impact is reflected in the fact that all of them were at the highest levels of the country’s operational and strategic command.
A key political figure and strategic scientists among the dead
In addition to military casualties, the attack also claimed the life of Ali Shamkhani, an influential Iranian politician and close figure to the Supreme Leader. According to reports from three senior Iranian officials and local media, Shamkhani had been leading nuclear negotiations with the United States as a member of a special committee created by the ayatollah to oversee such negotiations. His role was considered crucial in the diplomacy and security of the State.
The deaths of scientists Fereydoun Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranji represent a severe blow to the country’s nuclear capability. Abbasi was the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, while Tehranji was a renowned theoretical physicist and rector of the Islamic Azad University of Tehran.
Iranian authorities have not officially commented on the total number of deaths, but the immediate appointment of replacements in key military positions suggests an effort to contain internal crisis and ensure operational continuity.
According to doctors, the Iranian Red Crescent, and local officials, Israel’s attacks also left at least 11 people dead, in addition to the military and scientific leadership, and 121 injured in twelve provinces of the country.