Israeli-US War: Iran’s Top Leaders Eliminated in Strikes

After nearly three weeks of sustained fighting, coordinated US-Israeli airstrikes have significantly weakened Iran’s leadership, with reports confirming the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior political and military officials in the Islamic Republic.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Iran is “being decimated,” while the Israeli military, posting on its Persian-language X account, described the country’s leadership as a “house of cards that is collapsing.”

Despite the scale of the losses, Iran has shown signs of resilience, swiftly replacing key officials and maintaining its military operations against the United States and Israel. In the latest development, Revolutionary Guards spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini was killed in a pre-dawn US-Israel strike on Friday, according to the force.

Below is a recap of some of the most prominent Iranian figures reported killed since the start of the war:

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who had led Iran since 1989, was killed in the opening hour of the conflict on February 28. The strike targeted a high-level meeting in Tehran and reportedly also claimed the lives of his daughter-in-law, daughter, and at least one grandchild. His son, Mojtaba, survived the attack—reportedly with injuries—and has since assumed the role of supreme leader. He has not made a public appearance, though he stated in writing that he saw his father’s body, which has yet to be buried.

National Security Council chief Ali Larijani was killed on March 17 in an Israeli strike in the Tehran region, an attack that also reportedly killed members of his family. A longstanding pillar of the Islamic Republic, his death is considered one of the most significant losses after Khamenei. Just days before, he had appeared publicly at a pro-government rally in Tehran.

Revolutionary Guards commander-in-chief Mohammad Pakpour, who assumed the role in June 2025 after the death of his predecessor Hossein Salami, was also killed on the first day of the war. He has since been replaced by former interior and defence minister Ahmad Vahidi.

Senior adviser Ali Shamkhani, a key figure in Iran’s armed forces since the 1980s, was killed in an airstrike on the war’s opening day. Previously wounded in an earlier Israeli strike in June, he had briefly been reported dead before reappearing. Following his confirmed death, he was given a public funeral in Tehran’s Tajrish Square and reportedly buried without a head.

Intelligence Minister Esmael Khatib, a cleric who had held office since 2021, was killed in an Israeli strike in Tehran on March 18. Rights groups had previously accused him of playing a central role in suppressing protests.

Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war, was also killed on the first day of the conflict. He had been serving in the role since 2024.

Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani, who led the paramilitary force often accused by rights groups of suppressing protests, was killed in an airstrike on March 17.

Revolutionary Guards spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini was confirmed killed in Friday’s strike. Shortly before his death was announced, the Fars news agency quoted him as saying Iran’s missile production deserved a “perfect score” and was continuing despite the war.

Also among those killed was Mohammad Shirazi, head of the military office of the supreme leader, who played a key role in coordinating Iran’s security forces. He died on the opening day of the conflict.

Finally, armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi was killed on the first day of the war. He had only recently taken up the position in June 2025 following the death of his predecessor, Mohammad Bagheri, in an earlier 12-day conflict with Israel.

The scale of the losses underscores the intensity of the ongoing war, even as Iran continues efforts to stabilize its leadership structure and sustain its military response.