Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh and Chief of Staff Mousavi were killed in US-Israeli airstrikes targeting a Defense Council meeting yesterday.

The attacks follow the martyrdom of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, marking a significant escalation in regional tensions.

Iranian media confirmed that Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh, the country’s Defense Minister, and Chief of Staff Mousavi were among those killed in the strikes. The attacks also claimed the lives of Mohammad Pakpour, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Ali Shamkhani, Khamenei’s senior political advisor and secretary of Iran’s Defense Council.

According to the Israeli military, additional casualties included Mohammad Siraj, director of military affairs at the Supreme Leader’s office. These high-profile deaths have left Iran facing a potential vacuum at the top of its political and military hierarchy.

Context of the strikes

The targeted airstrikes occurred amid rising tensions after the reported martyrdom of Khamenei, who had led Iran for 36 years with a staunch anti-American stance. Iranian authorities described the attacks as a major provocation and warned of forthcoming IRGC offensives against US and Israeli targets in retaliation.

Mohammad Pakpour, who also served as IRGC ground forces commander and overall commander, had succeeded Hossein Salami, killed in an Israeli strike last June. Ali Shamkhani had played a key role as both a military and political advisor to the Supreme Leader.