09
Iranian Officials & Military Commanders Killed
24 documented incidents
- Feb 28 Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — Supreme Leader: Killed in the opening US-Israeli airstrike on his Tehran compound. Khamenei had ruled Iran for over 36 years. The government declared 40 days of mourning. On March 7, his son Mojtaba Khamenei was elected as the new Supreme Leader. His daughter, son-in-law, and grandson were also killed in the same strike. [Al Jazeera; Euronews; Axios]
- Feb 28 Ali Shamkhani — Senior Security Advisor & Former SNSC Secretary: A mainstay of the Islamic Republic's armed forces since the 1980s, killed on the first day of the war. Shamkhani was a key architect of Iran's nuclear negotiating posture and regional security strategy. [Axios; Vanguard News; Euronews]
- Feb 28 Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi — Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces: The most senior operational military commander in Iran, responsible for coordinating the regular army and the IRGC. Previously served as commander-in-chief of the Iranian Army from 2017–2025. [Al Jazeera; Axios; Euronews]
- Feb 28 Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh — Minister of Defense: A veteran of the Iran-Iraq war, he had served as Defense Minister since 2024 and previously commanded the Iranian Air Force (2018–2021). Killed alongside other top commanders in the opening strikes. [Al Jazeera; Vanguard News]
- Feb 28 Gen. Mohammad Pakpour — Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC: The highest-ranking IRGC commander, killed in the opening wave. [Axios; Al Jazeera; Euronews]
- Feb 28 Hossein Jabal-Amelian — Head of the SPND (Nuclear Weapons Research Organization): Chair of Iran's Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, which coordinates Iran's most sensitive defense-scientific projects. [Axios; Iran News Wire]
- Feb 28 Reza Mozaffari-Nia — Director of Defensive Innovation and Research: Former head of the SPND; killed in the same first-day wave targeting Iran's nuclear and defense scientific leadership. [Euronews]
- Mar 2 Saleh Asadi — Head of Intelligence, Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters: The chief intelligence officer of Iran's primary military construction and engineering organization. [Euronews]
- Mar 2 Mohammad Shirazi — Head of the Military Office of the Supreme Leader: Khamenei's chief military secretary, killed two days after the Supreme Leader himself. [Axios; Euronews]
- Mar 2 Mohsen Darrehbaghi — Deputy for Logistics and Support, Armed Forces: Killed in the same wave of March 2 command-center strikes. [Euronews]
- Mar 2 Akbar Ebrahimzadeh — Deputy Head, Office of the Commander-in-Chief: Killed alongside Darrehbaghi in the March 2 wave targeting Iran's command infrastructure. [Euronews]
- Early Mar Majid ibn al-Reza — Replacement Defense Minister: Appointed as successor to Aziz Nasirzadeh and killed by Israeli forces just one day after his appointment. [Axios]
- Mar 17 Ali Larijani — Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council: One of the Islamic Republic's most powerful political figures, described as Iran's 'ultimate backroom powerbroker.' Killed in a strike while visiting his daughter in eastern Tehran. His assassination prompted intense fear among remaining officials. Iran retaliated with a missile barrage that killed two Israeli civilians. [Axios; Al Jazeera; Wikipedia]
- Mar 17 Gholamreza Soleimani — Commander of the Basij Paramilitary: Head of the Basij, the volunteer paramilitary force that is a branch of the IRGC. Struck alongside several top lieutenants at a makeshift headquarters. [Axios; Wikipedia]
- Mar 18 Esmaeil Khatib — Minister of Intelligence: Killed by an Israeli strike in Tehran. Khatib had served as Intelligence Minister since 2021, overseeing Iran's entire domestic and foreign intelligence apparatus. A public funeral was held on March 20. [Axios; Vanguard News; Wikipedia]
- Mar 18 IRGC Officials Killed in Beirut Hotel Strike: An Israeli targeted drone strike on a hotel in Beirut killed at least four IRGC officials: Majid Hassini (senior financial officer), Ali Reza Bi-Azar (Lebanon Corps intelligence chief), Ahmad Rasouli (Palestine Corps intelligence chief), and Hossein Ahmadlou (intelligence officer). [Axios]
- Mar 18 Reza Khazaei — Senior IRGC Quds Force Member: Killed in a strike in Beirut, Lebanon. [Axios]
- Mar 20 Ali-Mohammad Naeini — IRGC Spokesperson: Killed along with two other senior officials in a March 20 strike. [Euronews]
- Mar 20 Esmail Ahmadi — Deputy for Intelligence, Basij Organization: Killed in the same March 20 wave. [Euronews]
- Mar 20 Mehdi Rostami Shomastan — Senior Commander, Ministry of Intelligence: Killed in the same March 20 wave targeting Basij and intelligence leadership. [Euronews]
- Late Mar Abu Dhar Mohammadi — IRGC Missile Operations Commander in Lebanon: Operations commander in the IRGC's missile unit within Hezbollah in Beirut. Killed in a targeted IDF strike. [Axios]
- Mar 31 Brig. Gen. Jamshid Eshaghi — Chief, Office of Budget & Financial Affairs, Armed Forces General Staff: Killed in US-Israeli strikes. Eshaghi oversaw budget and financial planning for the entire Armed Forces General Staff. [Wikipedia – Officials killed list]
- Apr 1 Mohammad Ali Fathalizadeh — Commander, Fatehin Unit: Killed in US-Israeli strikes. [Wikipedia – Officials killed list]
- Apr 6 Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi — Head, IRGC Intelligence Organization: Killed in a precision Israeli airstrike in Tehran. Khademi led both the IRGC Intelligence Protection Organization (from 2022) and the IRGC Intelligence Organization (from 2025). A senior Israeli official described him as effectively IRGC No. 2 and one of the few senior commanders who survived multiple waves of targeting. The IDF accused him of advancing terrorist attacks abroad and overseeing surveillance of Iranian civilians during protests. [Times of Israel; Fox News, Apr 6]
Summary:The opening strike of Operation Roaring Lion was described by Israeli officials as killing approximately 40 senior figures 'in less than one minute.' By the April 8 ceasefire, confirmed killed officials numbered 72+ named individuals across political, military, intelligence, and scientific domains, including the IRGC's intelligence chief killed on April 6. Euronews described the scale as 'undoubtedly the most significant shock' to the Islamic Republic's power structure in its history. [Axios; Euronews; Al Jazeera; Wikipedia; FDD]