In a major escalation of regional tensions, Israeli airstrikes on Friday killed Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s top military officer and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.
The strikes, described as highly coordinated, targeted key Iranian nuclear and military sites, including the Natanz uranium enrichment facility.
Iranian state media, including the Tehran Times and Tasnim News Agency, confirmed the death of Bagheri, alongside other senior officials such as Major General Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The attack marked one of the most significant blows to Iran’s military leadership in recent years.
According to reports, the headquarters of the IRGC in Tehran was among the targets hit in the wave of Israeli airstrikes, which also ignited fires in several military installations. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has verified that one of the Israeli strikes impacted the Natanz site and stated that it is monitoring the situation closely.
