Two of Iran’s most powerful military leaders — General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, and Hossein Salami, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — were killed on Friday during a sweeping wave of Israeli airstrikes targeting military and nuclear facilities across Iran.
According to reports, Israel hit nearly 100 high-value targets, marking the most extensive Israeli strike on Iranian soil to date. The strikes reportedly killed the top generals and damaged key infrastructure, sparking fears of further regional escalation.
General Mohammad Bagheri: Architect of Iran’s Military Strategy
General Bagheri, who had served as Iran’s top military commander since 2016, oversaw the army, the IRGC, and the country’s ballistic missile programme. A close aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he played a crucial role in modernising Iran’s missile capabilities, which have long been viewed as a direct threat by Israel.
Bagheri was also central to Iran’s strategic military planning, often appearing at major military unveilings and events. He was known for his fiery anti-Israel rhetoric, once declaring: “The Zionist enemy should know that it is nearing the end of its miserable life.”
He was placed under U.S. and EU sanctions for his involvement in Iran’s defense expansion and role in supplying weapons to Russia during the Ukraine conflict.
Hossein Salami: Revolutionary Guard Commander and Hardliner
Also killed was Major General Hossein Salami, a veteran commander of the IRGC and a staunch ideologue closely aligned with Khamenei. Salami, who joined the IRGC at the start of the Iran-Iraq war in 1980, rose through the ranks to command its aerospace division before becoming overall commander in 2019.
A frequent critic of the U.S. and Israel, Salami was known for provocative statements. In 2018, he warned Israeli leaders to prepare to “swim in the Mediterranean Sea” in anticipation of being forced to flee.
Under his leadership, the IRGC expanded its influence across the Middle East, backing Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza — both of which were involved in recent conflicts with Israel. The IRGC also played a key role in Iran’s regional military entrenchment, drawing intense scrutiny from the West.
A Turning Point?
The deaths of Bagheri and Salami mark a major blow to Iran’s military leadership, with analysts describing the Israeli attack as a pivotal moment in the long-running shadow war between the two nations.
The strikes follow months of tit-for-tat attacks and mark the first direct, high-profile Israeli action resulting in the deaths of Iran’s top defense figures. Iran has vowed to retaliate, as tensions in the region teeter on the edge of full-scale war.
