The US and Israeli attacks on Iran have martyred several senior political and military figures, hitting the Islamic Republic’s central leadership as the regional war disrupts energy markets and global shipping.
Below are some of the most notable figures killed:
Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who as Supreme Leader since 1989 built iron control over Iran while entrenching hostility toward the United States and Israel, was martyred at age 86 in a US-Israeli airstrike on his compound on February 28.
His more than three-decade rule was marked by the consolidation of power through Iran’s security apparatus and the expansion of regional influence, even as tensions over its nuclear program repeatedly brought it into confrontation with the West.
Senior officials
Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and a powerful veteran, was killed at age 67 in a US-Israeli airstrike in the Pardis area on March 17, along with his son and one of his aides, Iranian media reported.
A former Revolutionary Guard commander and nuclear negotiator, he was a close advisor to the slain Supreme Leader and played an important role in shaping Iran’s security and foreign policy.
Esmail Khatib, Iran’s intelligence minister, was eliminated in an Israeli strike on March 18. A hardline cleric and politician, he worked in and was advised by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s office before heading the civilian intelligence apparatus in August 2021.
Ali Shamkhani, a close adviser to Khamenei and a key figure in formulating Iran’s nuclear and security policies, was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28.
He had previously survived an attack on his home during the June 12-day war between Israel and Iran.
Senior military commanders
Mohammad Pakpour, commander-in-chief of the IRGC, Iran’s most powerful military force, was killed in the February 28 attacks in Tehran, Iranian state media said.
He rose through the ranks to lead the Revolutionary Guard after his predecessor Hossein Salami was eliminated in the 12-day war in June.
Aziz Nasirzadeh, Iran’s defense minister and career air force officer, was martyred in the same wave of attacks against senior leaders in Tehran on February 28, according to sources. He played a key role in military planning and defense policy.
Abdolrahim Mousavi, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, was killed in the Feb. 28 attacks during what Iranian media said was a meeting of senior leaders in Tehran. He was responsible for coordinating Iran’s military branches and supervising conventional forces.
Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force, was eliminated in US-Israeli strikes on March 17, according to Iranian state media. Senior officer of the Revolutionary Guard, he led the central force for internal security and compliance with state authority.
Behnam Rezaei, head of naval intelligence for the Revolutionary Guard, was martyred in an Israeli attack on the port city of Bandar Abbas on March 26, according to the Israeli military, which said he was responsible for collecting information on countries in the region.
