By Jana Choukeir
DUBAI, March 18 (Reuters) – Since February 28, U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran have killed several senior political and military figures, hitting the core of the Islamic Republic’s leadership in a war that has spread across the Middle East, disrupting energy markets and shipping routes.
The attacks, launched in the midst of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran mediated by Oman, are the most significant assault on Iran in decades, following a long-running shadow conflict and a 12-day war in June 2025.
Below are some of the most prominent figures killed:
SUPREME LEADER
*Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who as Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989 built an iron grip over the Islamic Republic while entrenching hostility towards the U.S. and Israel, was killed aged 86 in a U.S.-Israeli air strike on his compound in Tehran on February 28.
His more than three-decade rule was marked by the consolidation of power through the security apparatus, and the expansion of Iran’s regional influence, even as tensions over its nuclear programme repeatedly brought it into confrontation with the West.
SENIOR OFFICIALS
*Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and a veteran powerbroker, was killed at 67 in a U.S.-Israeli air strike in the Pardis area of Tehran on March 17, along with his son and one of his deputies, Iranian media reported.
A former Revolutionary Guards commander and nuclear negotiator who built a rapport with Western negotiators, he was also a close adviser to the slain Supreme Leader and played an important role in shaping Iran’s security and foreign policy.
*Ali Shamkhani, a close adviser to Khamenei and a key figure in Iran’s security and nuclear policymaking, was killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28.
A former defence minister and long-time security official, he had recently resumed a central role in wartime decision-making after surviving an attack on his home during the 12-day June war between Israel and Iran.
TOP MILITARY COMMANDERS
*Mohammad Pakpour, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran’s most powerful military force, was killed in the February 28 strikes in Tehran, Iranian state media said.
A veteran Guards officer, he rose through the ranks to lead the Revolutionary Guards after his predecessor Hossein Salami was killed in the 12-day war in June.
*Aziz Nasirzadeh, Iran’s defence minister and a career air force officer, was killed in the same wave of strikes targeting senior leadership in Tehran on February 28, according to sources. A former air force commander and deputy armed forces chief of staff, he played a key role in military planning and defence policy.
*Abdolrahim Mousavi, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, was also killed in the February 28 strikes during what Iranian media said was a meeting of senior leadership in Tehran. A career army officer and former head of the regular army (Artesh), he was responsible for coordinating Iran’s military branches and overseeing conventional forces.
*Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force, was killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes on March 17, according to Iranian state media. A senior Revolutionary Guards officer, he led the force central to internal security and the enforcement of state authority.
Beyond those named, multiple senior IRGC and army commanders and intelligence officials have been reported as killed in strikes, particularly during the initial February 28 attack that targeted a gathering of top leadership.
(Reporting by Jana Choukeir and Dubai newsroom; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
