Israel Says It Has Killed Iran’s Top Military Commander in Tehran Strike
The Israeli military announced Tuesday that it had killed Major General Ali Shadmani, Iran’s newly appointed wartime chief of staff and one of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s top military advisers, in a targeted airstrike in central Tehran.
In a statement posted to social media, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the operation was conducted based on “precise intelligence” and marked the second time in five days that it had eliminated the top commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters — the Islamic Republic’s emergency war command.
“For the second time in five days, the IDF has eliminated Iran’s Wartime Chief of Staff, the regime’s top military commander,” said IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin. “Ali Shadmani, Iran’s senior-most military official and Khamenei’s closest military advisor, was killed in an IAF strike in central Tehran.”
Footage and images from Tehran showed large plumes of smoke and fire rising over the Iranian capital following the overnight strike. Iranian state media confirmed a strike in central Tehran but has yet to officially acknowledge Shadmani’s death.
The general, who had only assumed his new position after the killing of his predecessor Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid in a June 13 Israeli strike, led the country’s war coordination center for less than a week. According to Israeli and Western media, Shadmani oversaw combat operations and coordinated offensive strategies in response to growing regional tensions.
NBC News, citing anonymous U.S. officials, described the strike that killed Shadmani as the result of a “sudden opportunity” seized by Israeli intelligence.
Iran’s Supreme Leader had formally announced Shadmani’s promotion just days ago, writing on social media that his “meritorious service and valuable experience” made him the right choice to succeed Rashid. Khamenei’s post now stands as a short-lived endorsement of a commander who became a high-profile casualty of Israel’s expanding military campaign.
The strike is part of Israel’s ongoing Operation Rising Lion, which aims to disrupt Iran’s military command and its alleged nuclear proliferation activities. The campaign has intensified over the past week, with Israeli airstrikes reportedly killing several senior Iranian commanders and damaging key infrastructure in and around Tehran.
In a statement issued after the latest strike, Brig. Gen. Defrin said Israel would “relentlessly pursue” its enemies “through advanced intelligence capabilities, exploiting emerging opportunities, air superiority, and complex operational planning.”
With input from Fox News
