Israel Kills Iran’s Top Military Officer in Overnight Airstrikes

In a major escalation, Israeli airstrikes have killed Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRINN. Bagheri was Iran’s highest-ranking military officer and a key figure in the country’s defense establishment.

The strike, part of what Israel has named Operation Rising Lion, was described by the Israeli military as a “pre-emptive, precise, combined offensive based on high-quality intelligence.” It targeted multiple locations across Iran in the early hours of Friday.

Bagheri is the second senior Iranian official confirmed killed in the operation. Earlier reports from Iranian state media indicated that General Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was also among the casualties.

Israel has declared a state of emergency following the strikes and is reportedly bracing for retaliation from Tehran. Dozens of airstrikes were carried out during the operation, marking a dramatic and unprecedented direct assault by Israel on Iranian soil.