In a major escalation of hostilities, Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has been killed in a targeted Israeli strike, according to official sources. The strike reportedly took place during a series of coordinated attacks on high-value military and strategic targets inside Iran.
Iranian state media has confirmed Salami’s death, calling it a “cowardly act of aggression” and vowing “severe retaliation.” The IRGC has declared three days of mourning, while thousands have taken to the streets in Tehran in response to the news.
Israeli officials have not formally commented, but defense sources said the operation was aimed at “neutralizing imminent threats” posed by IRGC leadership and infrastructure. The assassination of such a high-ranking figure is expected to send shockwaves throughout the region and heighten the risk of broader conflict.
Salami, who took command of the IRGC in 2019, was a key figure in shaping Iran’s regional military strategy and expanding its influence through proxy groups. His death marks the highest-profile killing of an Iranian official since the U.S. strike on General Qassem Soleimani in 2020.
The United Nations and international leaders have called for restraint, warning that further escalation could destabilize the entire Middle East.
