Since the beginning of Israel’s military campaign against Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure, the Israeli military has targeted and eliminated key figures belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s (IRI) military apparatus.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched Operation Rising Lion just after midnight on June 13, targeting key nuclear and military facilities inside Iran. The operation began with a wave of precision airstrikes carried out by Israeli Air Force fighter jets guided by intelligence from the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate and the Mossad. Besides Iran’s military leadership, the IDF targeted scientists working on the regime’s nuclear program, air defense systems, and other infrastructure.
Key Iranian military leaders eliminated
Chief of the General Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri
Bagheri was appointed as the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces in June 2016. A veteran of the Iran-Iraq War and a former IRGC commander, Bagheri held both military and academic roles. He earned a PhD in political geography and taught at Iran’s Supreme National Defense University. Bagheri was central to Iran’s strategic planning as he oversaw coordination between the IRGC and the regular army. The United States sanctioned Bagheri in 2019 for “being a person appointed to a position as a state official of Iran by the Supreme Leader of Iran.”
Following the death of Bagheri on June 13, IRI Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appointed Major General Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi, previously the commander-in-chief of the Iranian Army (Artesh), as the new chief of staff of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff on June 13, 2025.
Head of the Emergency Response Headquarters Lieutenant General Gholam Ali Rashid
A veteran of the Iran-Iraq War, Rashid rose to lead the powerful Emergency Response Headquarters, the key operational command that coordinates Iran’s military planning across the IRGC and the regular army.
Rashid played a crucial role in Iran’s regional strategy, including support for proxy forces across Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. He was a vocal proponent of asymmetric warfare and oversaw the development of Iran’s missile doctrine, cyber capabilities, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program expansion. Rashid warned Israel and the United States of Iran’s retaliatory capacities in any future war and publicly defended Iran’s regional “forward defense” posture.
Head of the Emergency Response Headquarters Brigadier General Ali Shadmani
Following the elimination of his predecessor, Gholam Ali Rashid, Khamenei promoted Shadmani on June 13. Born in Hamedan, he had a lengthy career in Iran’s military. He joined the IRGC shortly after the Islamic Revolution and commanded the 32nd Ansar al-Hussein Division during the Iran-Iraq War. Following the war, he held several key positions, including deputy chief of operations of the IRGC-Ground Forces, commander of the Hamzah Seyyed al Shohada Special Forces, and senior roles within the Armed Forces General Staff. He also served as deputy coordinator of the Khatam al Anbiya Central Headquarters, playing a crucial role in coordinating between Iran’s military and security institutions.
Israel eliminated Shadmani on June 17. At this time, a successor has not been appointed.
Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Hossein Salami
Known for his rhetoric and ideological fervor, Salami frequently warned of aggressive retaliatory action against Israel, the US, and the Gulf states, reinforcing Iran’s posture of defense-in-depth through missile, drone, and proxy strategies. Under Salami’s leadership, the IRGC expanded its regional reach, notably supporting allied groups in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen, and enhanced Iran’s ballistic missile and UAV programs. The US, EU, and Canada sanctioned Salami for his roles in Iran’s missile program and his involvement in supplying drones to Russia for use against Ukraine.
Supreme Leader Khamenei appointed General Mohammad Pakpour as the new commander of the IRGC on June 13, following the death of Salami earlier that day.
Chief of the Intelligence Directorate of Iran’s Armed Forces Gholam al Marhab
Marhab was regarded as Iran’s highest-ranking intelligence official and played a central role in crafting operational assessments and planning attacks against Israel over the past year. He was known to be closely aligned with now-deceased Chief of the General Staff Mohammad Hossein Bagheri. Marhab coordinated strategic intelligence at the highest levels of Iran’s military.
Israel killed Marhab on June 13. At this time, no known successor has been appointed to replace him.
Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force Brigadier General Ali Hajizadeh
A veteran of the Iran-Iraq War, Hajizadeh famously quipped that Iran’s missiles could reach “all American bases within 2,000 kilometers.” Under his command, the Aerospace Force claimed responsibility for key operations, including large-scale missile and drone strikes on Israel in April and October 2024, leading to him being awarded Iran’s prestigious Order of Fath in recognition of those actions.
On June 13, Israel killed Hajizadeh. The following day, Khamenei appointed Brigadier General Seyyed Majid Mousavi, Hajizadeh’s longtime deputy, as the new commander of the IRGC’s Aerospace Force.
Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps UAV Unit Brigadier General Taher Pour
Pour oversaw drone operations, coordinated strike missions against Israel in April and October 2024, and was an integral architect within Iran’s broader UAV warfare infrastructure. The IDF’s post-strike intelligence confirmed that Pour was among several senior IRGC UAV and air force commanders eliminated in the raid that targeted Iran’s drone and missile command infrastructure.
Israel killed Pour on June 13 during the opening strikes of the war. At this time, no known successor has been appointed to replace him.
Commander of Air Defense Brigadier General Daoud Shihyan
According to military sources, Shihyan was present alongside dozens of other top commanders in a subterranean war room when Israel struck his location. Shihyan’s leadership was central to Iran’s previous defensive operations against drones and cruise missiles, especially during heightened tensions with Israel in 2024 and early 2025.
At this time, no known successor has been appointed to replace Shihyan following his death on June 13.
Commander of the Surface-to-Surface Missile Array Brigadier General Mohammad Bagheri
The IDF confirmed that Bagheri “oversaw most of Iran’s long‑range surface‑to‑surface and cruise missile capabilities,” making him a key figure in Iran’s offensive arsenal. He was present at a subterranean command bunker in Tehran, alongside other senior officials, when a precision airstrike struck their gathering.
Bagheri played a central role in orchestrating Iran’s April and October 2024 missile attacks on Israel, directly managing the deployment and strategic use of missile forces, the IDF said. Israel killed Bagheri along with Ali Hajizadeh and other military officials on June 13. At this time, no known successor has been appointed to replace Bagheri.
Head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Intelligence Organization Brigadier General Mohammad Kazemi
Born in 1961 in Semnan, Iran, Kazemi began his career in the 1980s as part of Khomeini’s Revolutionary Committees to suppress dissent, later joining Iranian intelligence. He became one of Iran’s most prominent security figures, serving as head of the IRGC’s Intelligence Protection Organization from at least 2013 before leading the IRGC Intelligence Service since 2022.
Known for his close ties to the supreme leader, Kazemi held significant influence within the Iranian regime. He was tasked with overseeing counterintelligence operations, espionage activities, and the targeting of regime opponents inside Iran, the IDF said. Under his leadership, the organization played a central role in planning terrorist operations and surveilling Iranian citizens to quash dissent and protect the regime’s grip on power.
Israel eliminated Kazemi on June 16, and no new successor has been publicly announced to replace him.
Deputy Head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Intelligence Organization Brigadier General Mohammad Hassan Mohaqiq
A longtime figure within Iran’s intelligence apparatus, Mohaqiq previously led the IRGC’s Strategic Intelligence Division, making him a key architect of Iran’s covert operations and regional espionage strategies. He operated directly under IRGC Intelligence Chief Mohammad Kazemi and was instrumental in planning and overseeing intelligence assessments, counterintelligence missions, and foreign operations.
On June 15, 2025, Mohaqiq was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran, alongside Kazemi, during a high-level meeting. A successor has not been appointed to replace him.
This list of eliminated military leaders is not exhaustive. As the conflict persists, Israel will likely continue targeting senior figures within the Iranian military establishment. In turn, Iran may seek to carry out similar actions against Israeli military leaders.
