Amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the White House said some former Iranian leaders were targeted because they “lied” during negotiations with the United States.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said: “Some of the previous leaders are no longer on this planet because they deceived the United States and misled us in negotiations, which the president found unacceptable. That’s why many of the previous leaders were killed.”
The comments signal a tougher US stance and signal that Washington sees past diplomatic dealings with Tehran as misguided, even as the conflict escalates.
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White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said US President Donald Trump had Iranian leaders killed during the negotiations because he disagreed with their approach. She said the leaders “lied to the United States” and “pulled us over,” calling it unacceptable, adding that some of them are now “no longer on planet Earth,” directly linking their deaths to their actions in the talks.
Trump said on Sunday that the conflict had reached “regime change” and that “we’re dealing with different people than we’ve dealt with before.”
However, several key Iranian figures survived, and the Islamic Republic showed resilience by quickly replacing deceased leaders while continuing its conflict with the US and Israel.
Key Iranian leaders were killed in the Iran-US war
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was reportedly killed in the opening hour of the war on February 28 during a strike at a meeting of senior officials in Tehran. The attack also reportedly killed his daughter-in-law, daughter and at least one grandchild. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei
Ali Khamenei has yet to be buried, although Mojtaba said in a written statement that he had seen the body, AFP reported.
Security chief Ali Larijani
The killing of Larijani, who despite not being a cleric had been a pillar of the system for decades, was probably the biggest loss for the Islamic Republic since the death of Ali Khamenei.
Larijani was killed on March 17 in an Israeli strike, reportedly in the Tehran area, which also killed family members.
Last week, he defiantly walked in public in Tehran at a pro-government rally.
Revolutionary Guard Chief Mohammad Pakpour
Pakpour, formerly commander of the Guards Ground Forces, took over as commander-in-chief in June 2025 after his predecessor Hossein Salami was killed in Israel’s 12-day war against Iran.
He was killed on the first day of the war and replaced by former Minister of Interior and Defense Ahmad Vahidi.
Chief of Guard Navy Alireza Tangsiri
Alireza Tangsiri was a veteran of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War and one of the most senior figures in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, serving as a naval commander as of 2018.
In this role, he was a key military leader responsible for Iran’s naval strategy for nearly a decade, including actions in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important waterway for global oil trade, before he was killed in an airstrike during the ongoing conflict in 2026.
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Israel’s defense minister described him as “the man who was directly responsible for the terrorist operation of mining and blocking the Strait of Hormuz.”
Advisor Ali Shamkhani
Shamkhani, a mainstay of the Islamic Republic’s armed forces since the 1980s, was killed in an airstrike on the first day of the war. He was given a public funeral in Tehran’s Tajrish Square and was reportedly buried headless, AFP reported.
He was severely wounded during Israel’s June war against Iran and was initially reported dead but later resurfaced.
Minister of Information Esmail Khatib
The cleric Khatib was killed in an Israeli strike in Tehran early on March 18. As Iran’s intelligence minister since 2021, he has been accused by rights groups of playing a key role in suppressing protests.
Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh
Nasirzadeh, a veteran of the 1980s Iran-Iraq War, served as defense minister from 2024. He was also killed in a strike on the first day of the war.
Commander Basij Gholamreza Soleimani
Soleimani led the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary unit under the Revolutionary Guards known for its role in suppressing protests, according to human rights groups. He was killed in an airstrike on March 17.
Spokesman Guard Ali Mohammad Naini
Brigadier General Ali Mohammad Naini, a spokesman for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was killed at dawn on Friday in what the guards described as a “cowardly” joint attack by the United States and Israel, according to Iranian state media.
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Naini recently praised Iran’s missile production, saying it “deserves a perfect score” and pointed out that it continued despite the war before he was killed in the attacks.
Head of Military Office Mohammad Shirazi
Killed on the first day of the war, Shirazi held the key role of coordinating between the various branches of Iran’s security forces in the Supreme Leader’s office.
Armed Forces Commander Abdolrahim Mousavi
Some of the previous leaders are no longer on this planet because they deceived the United States and misled us in negotiations.
Mousavi, who was killed on the first day of the war, took over his role – the head of coordination between the Guards and the regular army – only in June 2025, after the death of his predecessor Mohammad Bagheri during the 12-day conflict.
(With input from agencies)
