Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was not the only one killed in the February 28 Israeli-American strikes. While Khamenei’s death led to a leadership vacuum and mixed emotions among people in the Islamic Republic, the Israel Defense Forces claimed to have “eliminated” some of Iran’s top security and defense officials.
They include Khamenei’s top advisers, commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and officials linked to Tehran’s missile and nuclear programs.
On Sunday, March 1 IDF claimed to have “hit and eliminated 7 members of Iran’s top security leadership in Tehran and 40 senior commanders”.
Here is a list of senior officials reportedly killed in Israeli-American strikes since February 28.
1. Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei
2. Abdol-Rahim Mosavi, Iran’s Chief of Staff
3. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, former Iranian Chief of Staff
4. Hossein Salami, Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
5. Gholam Ali Rashid, Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Command (Emergency Command)
6. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Air Force Commander
Other top leaders killed:
According to reports, including Iranian media outlets IRNA and Tasnim News Agency and Al Jazeera, Israel claimed to have killed the following leaders as well:
1. Ali Shamkhani, a close adviser to Khamenei and deputy leader of the Supreme Defense Council
2. Iranian Defense Minister Amir Nasirzadeh
3. Mohammad Raad, Hezbollah parliamentary faction
4. Basij Major General Shahid Mohammad Shirazi, Head of the Office of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces
5. General Shahid Saleh Asadi, Deputy for Intelligence of the General Staff of the Armed Forces
Mint could not independently confirm the deaths of all these leaders.
US President Donald Trump reportedly told the Washington-based ABC News correspondent that the US had “identified possible candidates to take over Iran, but they were killed in the first strike”.
“The attack was so successful that it took out most of the candidates,” Trump told Jonathan Karl. “It won’t be anyone we thought of because they’re all dead. Second or third place is dead,” he added.
