IRGC Leaders and Nuclear Scientists Killed in Israeli Strikes on Iran
Israeli airstrikes target Iran's military and nuclear facilities, resulting in the deaths of significant military leaders and scientists.
Iran reported the deaths of several high-ranking military leaders and nuclear scientists in Israeli airstrikes targeting its key facilities on Friday.
At least 20 senior Iranian military officials were among the casualties, including the Chief of Staff, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the head of the missile unit, as part of efforts to prevent Tehran from advancing its nuclear weapons program.
The deceased include:
Hosseini Salami
Born in 1959, Salami served as the commander of the IRGC, a post he was appointed to by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in 2019. Previously, he held the position of deputy commander of the IRGC since 2009. Khamenei instructed him to enhance comprehensive capabilities and readiness across all domains and support moral governance.
Salami is regarded as one of the more hardline leaders within the IRGC, having frequently threatened to destroy Israel and reframe Iran’s missile strategy.
Mohammad Baqeri
Serving as the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces since 2016, Baqeri previously led the IRGC's intelligence apparatus.
Born in June 1960, he joined the IRGC during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s.
Baqeri has been pivotal in enhancing Iran’s missile capabilities and the development of drones, declaring aggressive responses towards perceived threats from Israel and commenting on sanctions imposed by the EU and UK over Iran's drone supplies to Russia.
Amir Ali Hajizadeh
Hajizadeh commanded the IRGC's Aerospace Force and was identified by Israel as a key figure responsible for directing aerial attacks against the country.
In January 2020, he accepted responsibility for the downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane, which occurred shortly after Iran launched missile strikes on American targets in Iraq.
Gholam Ali Rashid
Rashid served as the head of Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, coordinating joint operations for the armed forces.
He has extensive experience from the Iran-Iraq War and has been involved with the IRGC's external operations since the early 1980s.
Following structural changes within the armed forces, Khamenei appointed him to lead this operational command.
Fereidoun Abbasi Davani
A nuclear scientist, Abbasi served as the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization from 2011 to 2013 and was an influential conservative member of the Iranian parliament from 2020 to 2024. He is noted for his knowledge of Iran's nuclear program, having survived a 2011 assassination attempt.
Mohammad Mahdi Tehranji
Tehranji, also a nuclear scientist, was the president of Azad University in Tehran.
Additionally, four other scientists—Abdul Hamid Monushahr, Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari, Amir Hossein Faghihi, and Matlab Zadeh—were reported killed in the strikes.
The attacks represent a strategic move by Israel, aiming to curb Iran’s military advancements and nuclear ambitions amidst escalating tensions in the region.
At least 20 senior Iranian military officials were among the casualties, including the Chief of Staff, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the head of the missile unit, as part of efforts to prevent Tehran from advancing its nuclear weapons program.
The deceased include:
Hosseini Salami
Born in 1959, Salami served as the commander of the IRGC, a post he was appointed to by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in 2019. Previously, he held the position of deputy commander of the IRGC since 2009. Khamenei instructed him to enhance comprehensive capabilities and readiness across all domains and support moral governance.
Salami is regarded as one of the more hardline leaders within the IRGC, having frequently threatened to destroy Israel and reframe Iran’s missile strategy.
Mohammad Baqeri
Serving as the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces since 2016, Baqeri previously led the IRGC's intelligence apparatus.
Born in June 1960, he joined the IRGC during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s.
Baqeri has been pivotal in enhancing Iran’s missile capabilities and the development of drones, declaring aggressive responses towards perceived threats from Israel and commenting on sanctions imposed by the EU and UK over Iran's drone supplies to Russia.
Amir Ali Hajizadeh
Hajizadeh commanded the IRGC's Aerospace Force and was identified by Israel as a key figure responsible for directing aerial attacks against the country.
In January 2020, he accepted responsibility for the downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane, which occurred shortly after Iran launched missile strikes on American targets in Iraq.
Gholam Ali Rashid
Rashid served as the head of Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, coordinating joint operations for the armed forces.
He has extensive experience from the Iran-Iraq War and has been involved with the IRGC's external operations since the early 1980s.
Following structural changes within the armed forces, Khamenei appointed him to lead this operational command.
Fereidoun Abbasi Davani
A nuclear scientist, Abbasi served as the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization from 2011 to 2013 and was an influential conservative member of the Iranian parliament from 2020 to 2024. He is noted for his knowledge of Iran's nuclear program, having survived a 2011 assassination attempt.
Mohammad Mahdi Tehranji
Tehranji, also a nuclear scientist, was the president of Azad University in Tehran.
Additionally, four other scientists—Abdul Hamid Monushahr, Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari, Amir Hossein Faghihi, and Matlab Zadeh—were reported killed in the strikes.
The attacks represent a strategic move by Israel, aiming to curb Iran’s military advancements and nuclear ambitions amidst escalating tensions in the region.
