Israel Says Seven Senior Iranian Commanders Killed in Precision Airstrikes Across Iran

Tel Aviv, March 2026 : The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Sunday announced that seven senior Iranian military commanders, including Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and the chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, were killed in what it described as carefully planned and highly precise airstrikes conducted across Iran.

Iran has not officially confirmed the deaths of the commanders named by Israel, and Tehran has so far refrained from issuing a detailed response to the claims. The reported killings come amid an expanding joint military offensive by the United States and Israel aimed at degrading Iran’s military leadership and strategic capabilities, a development that has dramatically escalated tensions across the Middle East.

According to the IDF, the strikes were carried out by the Israel Air Force following actionable intelligence gathered by Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate. The intelligence indicated that multiple high-ranking Iranian security officials were meeting simultaneously at two separate locations in Tehran, presenting what Israeli officials described as a rare operational opportunity.

Among those Israel said were killed was Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a long-standing figure within Iran’s defence and security establishment. The IDF noted that Shamkhani had previously survived an earlier assassination attempt during last year’s round of hostilities, underscoring his prominence within Iran’s strategic decision-making apparatus.

The Israeli military also confirmed the death of Mohammad Pakpour, identified as the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Israel accused Pakpour of overseeing missile and drone operations targeting Israeli territory and of leading what it described as a long-term plan aimed at Israel’s destruction. According to the IDF, Pakpour played a central role in coordinating Iran’s regional military posture and its support for allied armed groups.

Other officials named by Israel as having been killed include Salah Asadi and Mohammad Shirazi, as well as Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh. Israeli officials also claimed that senior figures linked to Iran’s SPND weapons development organisation were among the dead. Israel has long alleged that the SPND is involved in advancing sophisticated weapons projects, including those with potential nuclear applications.

Israel accused the slain officials of directing missile production, managing drone warfare programmes, and coordinating with Iran-backed proxy groups across the region. “These individuals were at the heart of Iran’s military machine and its campaign of aggression,” the IDF said, adding, “The world is a better place without them.”

Meanwhile, Iranian state media separately reported that Supreme Leader Khamenei was killed in the same wave of US-Israeli strikes, a claim that, if confirmed, would represent a historic turning point for Iran’s political system.

The developments mark a critical inflection point in Iran’s 46-year Shia-theocratic rule, as Tehran’s retaliation has already triggered renewed instability and conflict across large parts of the Middle East.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)