Iran Defense Minister, IRGC Commander killed in US-Israeli strikes

2026-02-28 - 14:24

Shafaq News- Tehran Iran’s defense minister and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed in strikes targeting senior Iranian leadership, Reuters reported Saturday, citing sources familiar with the matter. There has been no official confirmation from Tehran. Iran’s foreign minister acknowledged that the country may have lost “some commanders,” but said this was “not a major problem,” according to remarks carried by Iranian media. The Israeli military said the attack was carried out simultaneously at multiple sites in Tehran, targeting a meeting of senior political and security officials. It said the operation followed months of operational planning and intensive intelligence work aimed at identifying a window of opportunity when top officials were gathered. Israeli officials added that the decision was made to strike in the morning rather than at night, allowing Israel to achieve what it described as tactical surprise despite heightened Iranian alertness. Israeli media reported uncertainty over the whereabouts of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and said Ali Shamkhani had been targeted. Iranian state media, however, said senior leaders were safe and that Khamenei had been moved to a secure location outside the capital. This is a breaking story...