The Islamic Republic of Iran has confirmed that General Mohammad Bagheri, the country’s Chief of Staff of Armed Forces, was killed in Israel’s ‘preemptive strike’ on Tehran.
General Bagheri’s death was also confirmed by Press TV, a state-run broadcaster in Iran. Israel Defense Forces, too, confirmed Bagheri’s death in the strikes across Iran on Friday.
The Islamic Republic News Agency, the official news agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran, earlier reported that Hossein Salami, the chief of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), was among those killed, along with another top Guard official and two nuclear scientists.
About 200 Israeli aircraft struck around 100 targets, including nuclear and military sites in Tehran, Israeli army spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said officials leading Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes were also targeted.
The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed Israel hit Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility and said it is monitoring radiation levels.
The strikes, amid escalating tensions over Iran’s nuclear advances, are expected to trigger retaliation. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of “severe punishment,” and Israel said Iran had begun launching drones in response.
