Iranian authorities have confirmed the martyrdom of Mohammad Pakpour, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Ali Shamkhani, a top military and political advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in recent US-Israeli airstrikes on Tehran, the official IRNA news agency reported.

The strikes mark a further escalation in the region following Khamenei’s reported martyrdom and the announcement of a forthcoming IRGC offensive against Israeli and US targets.

Both among top military casualties

Mohammad Pakpour, who had concurrently served as IRGC ground forces commander and overall commander, was the successor to Hossein Salami, who died in an Israeli airstrike last June.

Ali Shamkhani, Khamenei’s senior political advisor and secretary of Iran’s Defence Council, was also confirmed killed.

Earlier, the Israeli military announced that Pakpour, Shamkhani, Mohammad Siraj (director of military affairs at the Supreme Leader’s office), and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh had been killed in the strikes.

Khamenei had led Iran for 36 years while maintaining a staunch anti-American stance. With the deaths of Pakpour, Shamkhani, and other senior figures, Iran faces a potential leadership vacuum.

Analysts suggest potential successors could include Ali Larijani, former secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, or Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of Parliament. Others speculate an IRGC-affiliated figure may emerge to consolidate power amid the political and military turmoil.