U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran have killed several high-ranking political and military figures, hitting the Islamic Republic’s top leaders as the regional war disrupts energy markets and global shipping.
Below are some of the most notable people killed:
Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who as supreme leader since 1989 established an iron grip on Iran while ratcheting up hostility toward the United States and Israel, was martyred at the age of 86 in a U.S.-Israeli airstrike on his compound on February 28.
His rule of more than three decades 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 veteran powerman, was assassinated at age 67 in a US-Israeli airstrike in the Pardis region on March 17, along with his son and one of his deputies, Iranian media reported.
A former Revolutionary Guard commander and nuclear negotiator, he was a close advisor to the assassinated Supreme Leader and played an important role in shaping Iran’s security and foreign policy.
Esmail Khatib, Iranian intelligence minister, was eliminated in an Israeli strike on March 18. A hard-line cleric and politician, he worked in the office of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and was mentored by him, before heading the civilian intelligence apparatus in August 2021.
Ali Shamkhani, a close adviser to Khamenei and a key figure in Iran’s nuclear and security policy, was killed during US-Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28.
He had previously survived an attack on his home during June’s 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 assassinated in the Feb. 28 strikes in Tehran, Iranian state media said.
He rose through the ranks to lead the Revolutionary Guards 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 strikes targeting 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 assassinated in the Feb. 28 strikes 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. A senior officer in the Revolutionary Guards, he led the central force for internal security and strengthening state authority.
Behnam Rezaei, intelligence chief of the Revolutionary Guard Navy, was killed in an Israeli strike in 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.
