Israel’s targeted attacks on Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure early Friday took out two top Iranian generals.
The Israel Defense Forces strikes took out Gen. Hossein Salami, the leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), inflicting a significant blow to Tehran's governing theocracy. He had a history of threatening the U.S. and Israel.
Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, was also killed. His death further escalates the gravity of the strike and its implications for Iran’s military structure.
In addition to Gen. Hossein Salami and Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, at least 20 senior Iranian commanders were killed in the strikes, including Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the IRGC Aerospace Force.
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Their deaths came amid Israeli Defense Forces launched a sweeping strike on Iran, called "Operation Rising Lion." It followed months of attempted, and seemingly failed, nuclear negotiations between the Trump administration and Tehran. Israel said it launched the strikes to target Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure.
Salami was the commander-in-chief of the IRGC since his appointment in 2019 by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 2019, overseeing Iran’s elite military force.
His appointment came shortly after President Donald Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal and designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
Salami first joined the IRGC during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, rising through the ranks to lead the IRGC’s air forces and later its entire command.
The IRGC is one of the country’s most powerful centers. It was created after its 1979 Islamic Revolution and has evolved from a paramilitary, domestic security force into a transnational force that has come to the aid of Tehran’s allies in the Middle East, from Syria and Lebanon to Iraq, per the Times of Israel.
It operates in parallel to the country’s existing armed forces. It controls Iran’s arsenal of ballistic missiles, which it has used to attack Israel twice during the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
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Control over Iran’s missile arsenal
Under Salami, the IRGC evolved into a powerful transnational force, heavily involved in supporting Iran’s regional allies like Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.
The Guard controls Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal, which has been used against Israel, especially during the Israel-Hamas war.
Confrontational rhetoric
Salami was known for his aggressive rhetoric against both Israel and the United States, calling for the destruction of Israel as early as 2016.
In 2020, after the U.S. killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of the IRGC’s elite Quds Force, the IRGC Quds Force commander in 2020, Salami vowed retaliation. Just five days later, Iran launched missiles at U.S. bases in Iraq. He also warned that American and Israeli commanders would be targeted in future reprisals.
Launched unprecedented strike
Last year, Salami ordered a massive attack of more than 300 drones and missiles in response to the Israeli killing of seven Iranian generals in Syria.
Bagheri has served as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces since 2016, coordinating operations across the army, IRGC, and air defenses.
He was a veteran of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and held multiple senior roles in intelligence and strategic command.
Intelligence power broker
Bagheri was instrumental in shaping Iran’s military doctrine and led efforts to modernize its missile and air defense systems. He represented Iran in military coordination with allies like Russia and Syria, particularly during joint operations in the Syrian Civil War.
As the brain behind Iran’s strategic military posture, Bagheri was on Israel’s radar for years as a high-value target.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
