Among those targeted were aides Ali Larijani and Ali Shamkhani, IRGC chiefs including Esmail Qaani, and the Iranian defense minister • Israel targeted assassinations as US focused elsewhere
Up to dozens of top Iranian officials may have been assassinated collectively at a few different meetings on Saturday, with indications that Israel focused on this part of the joint US-Israel bombings on Saturday, while American forces focused on other issues, such as attacking the ballistic missile apparatus, naval targets, and nuclear targets.
The top targeted official is Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israeli confidence has grown over the course of the day that he has been assassinated, though it is not yet definitive.
His well-known command center in Tehran was bombed, but reports were that he was not there.
However, in June 2025, Israel managed to assassinate top Iranian officials also at their backup secret locations.
Satellite imagery from an alleged Israeli strike on the bunker where Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is being guarded. (credit: FAIR USE UNDER ISRAELI COPYRIGHT LAW, ARTICLE 27A)
Ali Larijani, Ali Shamkhani among Khamenei aides targeted
Ali Larijani, who has been Khamenei’s stand-in to run the country in recent weeks, as the ayatollah went underground to try to avoid assassination, may also have been killed.
Ali Shamkhani, another top security aide to Khamenei for over a decade, may also have been killed, though he was also thought to be killed in the June 2025 Operation, and at that time survived.
Esmail Qaani, top IRGC officers potentially killed by Israel
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Chief Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, who just recently replaced his predecessor who was killed in June 2025, also may be dead.
Esmail Qaani, who replaced the infamous Qasem Soleimani as head of the feared IRGC Quds Force after he was assassinated in 2000, could have been killed in the same attacks.
BRIGADIER-GENERAL Esmail Qaani, the head of the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force. T (credit: WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY/REUTERS)
Iran army military chief, Abdolrahim Mousavi, who also replaced his predecessor who was killed in June 2025, also may be dead.
The defense minister for Iran, Amir Nasirzadeh, may also be among the top officials assassinated.
In general, Iran reports that 201 people have been dead and 747 injured.
There has not yet been a breakdown of combatants to civilians, but in June 2025, Israel was credited with a low civilian casualty ratio.