New Delhi: In a major escalation of the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, the Israeli military announced on Tuesday that it had killed Ali Shadmani, Iran’s top military commander and a key aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The airstrike reportedly targeted a high-level command centre in central Tehran during an overnight operation.
According to a statement released by the Israeli military, Shadmani was the most senior wartime commander in Iran and had served as Chief of Staff, overseeing both the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian armed forces. The military described him as “the closest figure to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.”
The statement claimed the strike was carried out following “a sudden opportunity overnight,” resulting in the elimination of Shadmani and potentially others present at the command centre.
Shadmani’s death marks one of the most significant blows to Iran’s military leadership in recent years and is likely to further inflame tensions in the already volatile region. Neither Iran’s government nor its state media had confirmed or responded to the report at the time of publishing.
