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Trump hints at potential Iran deal amid ongoing negotiations
The United States Special Forces embarked on a bold mission to rescue a downed F-15E weapons systems officer trapped deep within Iranian territory. President Donald Trump publicly confirmed the operation while issuing a stern 48-hour ultimatum to Iran, pressing for a deal. He warned of severe consequences, including threats to obliterate infrastructure and seize oil resources if demands were not met. Additionally, Trump pledged to target Iran’s power plants and bridges.
Simultaneously, Israel announced a significant blow to Iran’s military leadership. In a precise strike, the intelligence chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Brig. Gen. Majid Khademi, was reported killed. An Israeli official disclosed that Asghar Bagheri, the Quds Force’s special operations commander, was also eliminated during this operation.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed Khademi’s death in a statement on X. They accused him of orchestrating terrorist activities abroad and managing the surveillance that targeted Iranian civilians amidst the regime’s crackdown on domestic dissent.
A senior Israeli official commented on Khademi’s significance, labeling him as essentially the second-in-command within the IRGC. “He was one of the few high-ranking commanders who evaded Israeli and American targeting until now,” the official mentioned in an interview with Fox News. “Khademi was adept at relocating to avoid detection, yet ultimately, he was tracked down and eliminated.”
The official further explained that Khademi managed an intelligence network that consistently failed to foresee or thwart major operations by Israel and the U.S. This failure unveiled significant weaknesses in Iran’s security apparatus, underscoring the strategic surprises orchestrated by opposing forces.
IRGC intelligence chief Majid Khademi was killed in an Israeli precision strike that also took out a Quds force commander early Monday morning. (Israel Defense Forces / X)
Notably, Khademi was “deeply involved in attempts to penetrate U.S. systems, including efforts to breach the Pentagon,” and “coordinated extensively with Russia,” according to the official.
“His removal marks a significant blow to Iran’s intelligence leadership at a time when the regime is already under sustained pressure,” the official added.
Bagheri was also killed at the same time as the strike that took out Khademi, the official noted, but the IDF has yet to officially confirm his killing.
“Bagheri was directly involved in recruiting agents across the Middle East and orchestrating attacks against American targets in Iraq and Syria — including operations that led to U.S. casualties,” the senior official told Fox News.
Khademi spent decades in intelligence and counter-espionage roles while rising through Iran’s security apparatus.
Before his appointment, Khademi headed the Guard’s Intelligence Protection Organization, charged with internal surveillance and counter-intelligence, and held senior roles in Iran’s defense ministry.
The IRGC intelligence arm is one of Iran’s most powerful security bodies, with a central role in domestic surveillance to counter foreign influence, and often operating in parallel with the civilian intelligence ministry.