Senior Iranian Officials Reportedly Killed in US and Israeli Strikes (2025-2026)

Over 70 Senior Iranian Officials Reportedly Killed in US and Israeli Strikes: "Operation Epic Fury" and "Operation Roaring Lion"

More than 70 senior Iranian officials, including former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, have reportedly been killed in a series of US and Israeli strikes targeting Iran's military, intelligence, and government structures between June 2025 and March 2026. These operations, designated "Operation Epic Fury" by the United States and "Operation Roaring Lion" by Israel, have resulted in the confirmed deaths of high-profile figures such as Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, and Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib.

Overview of Operations

The strikes, which commenced in June 2025 and extended through March 2026, targeted various command centers and individuals across Iran. The Israeli military has claimed responsibility for a number of these actions, with the United States also cited as involved in some strikes. Attacks were reported in multiple Iranian cities, including Tehran, Ahvaz, Isfahan, and Shiraz. An Israeli drone strike was also reported in Beirut.

Key Incidents and Reported Casualties

A period described as "The 12-Day War" in June 2025 witnessed the deaths of several senior officials in Israeli airstrikes.

"The 12-Day War" in June 2025 saw several senior officials killed in Israeli airstrikes targeting various command centers and individuals.

• June 13:
  • Hossein Salami (Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - IRGC)
  • Mohammad Bagheri (Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces)
  • Gholamali Rashid (Commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters)
  • Amir Ali Hajizadeh (Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force)
  • Eight other senior commanders from the IRGC Aerospace Force: Davood Sheikhian, Mohammad Bagher Taherpour, Mansour Safarpour, Masoud Tayeb, Khosrow Hassani, Javad Jorsara, Mohammad Aghajafari, Mahmoud Bagheri.
• June 14: Gholamreza Mehrabi (Deputy for Intelligence, General Staff of the Armed Forces) and Mehdi Rabbani (Deputy for Operations, General Staff of the Armed Forces).
• June 15: Mohammad Kazemi (Head of IRGC Intelligence Organization), Hassan Mohaqeq (Deputy Head of IRGC Intelligence Organization), and Mohsen Bagheri (senior IRGC intelligence official).
• June 21: Mohammad Saeed Izadi (Commander of the Palestine Desk, IRGC Quds Force) and Behnam Shahriyari (senior official, IRGC Quds Force).
• June 23: Ali Ghanaatkar Mavardiani (Deputy Prosecutor of Tehran) in a strike on Evin Prison.
• June 24: Mohammad Taqi Yousefvand (Head of Basij Intelligence Protection) and Alireza Lotfi (Deputy Head of Intelligence, Law Enforcement Command - Faraja).
• June 25: Ali Shadmani (Deputy to Gholamali Rashid).
• Additionally, several Iranian nuclear scientists were reportedly killed during this period.

On February 28, 2026, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was reportedly killed along with approximately 40 senior military commanders during US and Israeli strikes on Tehran. Iranian State TV confirmed Khamenei's death.

• Ali Khamenei: Born in 1939, he became Iran's Supreme Leader in 1989 after the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He had joined the religious opposition movement in 1962 and helped organize the IRGC after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
• Ali Shamkhani: The 70-year-old Secretary of the Iranian Security Council Forces, who had held defense and security posts since 1979 and contributed to the restoration of ties with Saudi Arabia in 2023.
• Mohammad Pakpour: Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC, identified as a key figure in Iran's strategic planning and protest suppression.
• Abdolrahim Mousavi: Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, appointed in 2025 and previously sanctioned for human rights abuses.
• Aziz Nasirzadeh: Iran's Minister of Defense and former air force commander, believed responsible for long-range missile production.
• Hossein Jabal-Amelian: Head of the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), described as responsible for developing advanced technologies and weapons.
• Reza Mozaffari-Nia: Former head of SPND, believed to have played a role in nuclear weapons development efforts.

Strikes persisted throughout March 2026, resulting in further reported casualties among senior Iranian officials.

• March 2: Saleh Asadi (Head of Intelligence, Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters), Mohammad Shirazi (Head of the Military Office of the Supreme Leader), and five other officials were killed in US and Israeli strikes on command centers.
• March 3: Mohsen Mahdavi Kalateh (Deputy Minister of Intelligence).
• March 8: An Israeli drone strike on the Ramada Plaza Hotel in Beirut reportedly killed Majid Hosseinikandesar (Head of Finance, Lebanon Branch, IRGC Quds Force) and three other IRGC Quds Force intelligence officers (Alireza Bi-Azar, Ahmad Rasouli, Hossein Ahmadlou). On the same day, Ali Hashemi and Mohammadreza Saqafifar were reported killed in attacks on Iran.
• March 10: Asadollah Badfar (Head of Basij, General Staff of the Armed Forces) and Esmail Dehghan (senior commander, IRGC Aerospace Force).
• March 12: Naqi Mohaddesnia, Davood Alizadeh, Abuzar Mohammadi, and Akbar Ghaffari were reported killed in Israeli attacks.
• March 14: Abolghasem Babaeian (Special Inspector to the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces) in US and Israeli attacks on Tehran.
• March 17: Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani, along with Alireza Bayat, were reported killed in Israeli strikes on Tehran.
• March 18: Esmaeil Khatib was reported killed.
• March 20: Ali-Mohammad Naeini (IRGC spokesperson), Esmail Ahmadi (Basij Organization intelligence deputy), and Mehdi Rostami Shomastan (Ministry of Intelligence commander) were killed in Israeli strikes.

High-Profile Deaths in March 2026

The deaths of Gholamreza Soleimani, Ali Larijani, and Esmaeil Khatib were particularly highlighted in mid-March 2026.

The head of Iran’s Basij paramilitary forces, Gholamreza Soleimani, was confirmed killed by the IRGC and Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency. Born in 1964 or 1965, he had commanded the Basij for six years and was a veteran of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War. Appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in 2019, Soleimani was involved in quelling domestic unrest and had been sanctioned by the United States, European Union, and other nations for his alleged involvement in suppressing dissent.

Ali Larijani, the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, was confirmed killed by Iran on March 17. Born in 1959, he was a significant political figure, having previously led nuclear negotiations with Western powers and served as speaker of parliament from 2008 to 2020. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had initially claimed his death. Iranian state media released a handwritten note attributed to Larijani following reports of his death, though its purpose as proof of his status was not explicitly stated.

Iran's Intelligence Minister, Esmaeil Khatib, was confirmed killed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on March 18. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had stated Israel killed Khatib. Khatib was a cleric and politician who worked in the office of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and headed the civilian intelligence apparatus from August 2021. He was considered a trusted figure close to Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.

Official Statements and Reactions

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have given the Israeli military standing authorization to eliminate other senior Iranian officials. Katz also commented that "the leaders of the regime are being killed and their capabilities terminated," and emphasized continued military actions against missile capabilities and strategic infrastructure. The US President commented on Truth Social, stating that this represents a "significant opportunity" for the Iranian populace. The US State Department offered a $10 million reward for information regarding Iran’s new supreme leader and other top officials, including Khatib.

Iran confirmed the deaths of Soleimani, Larijani, and Khatib. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi asserted that Larijani’s killing would not fatally impact Iran’s leadership, stating that the government does not depend on a single individual. Iran has not provided comments on all Israeli claims.

Analysts suggest that while these alleged killings would be considered a strategic success for Israel if confirmed, they are unlikely to cause a collapse of the Iranian regime, describing the situation as a "game of whack-a-mole" due to the presence of other leaders to assume such roles.