Know Who Were the Four Iranian Generals Killed in Israeli Strikes

JERUSALEM, June 13 (RFE/RL, IRNA & Virginia Times) — Israel claimed responsibility on Thursday for a series of high-stakes air strikes that reportedly killed four senior Iranian generals, three within the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The strikes, described by Israel as “preemptive,” hit Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure, marking a significant escalation between the two regional powers.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the June 13 operation targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories, and top military commanders in an effort to halt what Israel calls Tehran’s atomic weapons ambitions.

Iran Confirms High-Level Assassinations

According to Iranian state media IRNA, the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Baqeri, and IRGC Chief Commander Major General Hossein Salami, were both assassinated in separate Israeli strikes overnight on Friday. IRNA further reported that:

• Commander of the Aerospace Force of the IRGC, Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh, was also killed in the strikes.
• Major General Gholamali Rashid, Commander of the Khatam al-Anbia Headquarters, was among the dead.
• Two prominent nuclear scientists — Mohammad-Mehdi Tehranchi, president of Islamic Azad University, and Fereydoun Abbasi, former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran — were also killed in separate Israeli strikes.

IRNA stated that Israeli warplanes targeted military, nuclear, and residential sites in and around Tehran, as well as other cities. Eyewitnesses told Iranian state TV that bodies of women and children were seen at some of the bombed sites.

Profiles of the Fallen Generals

As detailed by RFE/RL, the four military officials killed were among Iran’s most powerful defense figures:

Hossein Salami

Major General Hossein Salami, IRGC commander since 2019, was sanctioned since 2006 over his role in Iran’s ballistic missile program. His leadership embodied Iran’s ideological hardline defense posture.

Mohammad Baqeri

Major General Mohammad Baqeri was Iran’s top-ranking armed forces officer after Ayatollah Khamenei. He supervised military intelligence and internal security operations and played a central role in Iran’s regional military interventions.

Gholamali Rashid

Major General Gholamali Rashid led Khatam al-Anbia, Iran’s operational command headquarters, since 2015. His death may disrupt Iran’s strategic command and military coordination in wartime operations.

Amir Ali Hajizadeh

Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the IRGC Aerospace Force since 2009, was behind Iran’s drone and missile programs. He gained notoriety after acknowledging the 2020 accidental downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752.

International Concerns Mount

While Israel defends the strikes as essential to national security, global powers have raised concerns. The United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the European Union urged restraint. Oil markets surged, with Brent crude jumping over 2% amid fears of regional instability.