Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has appointed new senior military commanders following deadly Israeli airstrikes that killed several high-ranking officials on Friday.
The airstrikes reportedly claimed the lives of General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces; Hossein Salami, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); and General Gholam-Ali Rashid, head of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.
New Military Leadership
In response to these losses, Khamenei has swiftly restructured Iran's military leadership, appointing Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi as the new Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. Mousavi previously led Iran's regular army.
General Mohammad Pakpour, who formerly commanded the IRGC Ground Force, has been elevated to Commander of the IRGC, while General Ali Shadmani, previously deputy coordinator at Khatam al-Anbiya, now heads that strategic headquarters.
Civilian and Scientific Casualties
Beyond military leaders, the strikes also reportedly killed six Iranian nuclear scientists, including Mohammad-Mehdi Tehranchi and Fereydoun Abbasi, alongside an unspecified number of civilians.
In an official statement following the attacks, Khamenei condemned what he termed a "crime against Iran" and warned that Israel would face "severe punishment" for the airstrikes.
The Israeli military has reportedly claimed responsibility for the operation, describing it as "Operations Rising Lion" and stating they had successfully eliminated Iranian top military officials.
This escalation comes amid growing tensions between the two nations, with recent reports indicating Iran had launched approximately 100 drones toward Israel in an earlier retaliatory action.
The international community, including the United Nations, United States, Saudi Arabia, and China, has reportedly responded to the Israeli attacks on Iran, though specific details of these responses were not immediately available.
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