In a significant escalation of conflict, US-Israeli airstrikes have resulted in the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, along with several key figures from the nation’s political and military elite.
On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Iran is facing severe destruction. In a statement on its Persian-language account, the Israeli army likened the downfall of Iran’s leadership to a “house of cards” that is rapidly disintegrating.
Here’s a summary of some notable figures who have lost their lives in this ongoing conflict:
- Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Ali Khamenei, who had been Iran’s supreme leader since 1989, was killed within the first hour of the conflict, which began on February 28. The airstrike targeted a high-level meeting in Tehran, also resulting in the deaths of his daughter-in-law, daughter, and at least one grandchild, according to various reports.
- National security council chief Ali Larijani
The death of Larijani, a long-standing non-clerical figure in Iran’s political landscape, marked a significant blow to the Islamic republic, following Khamenei’s demise. Larijani was reportedly killed on March 17 in an Israeli airstrike near Tehran, which also claimed the lives of several of his family members.
- Revolutionary Guards commander-in-chief Mohammad Pakpour
Pakpour, previously head of the Guards’ ground forces, only headed the force whose task it is to keep the revolution alive since June 2025 when previous commander-in-chief Hossein Salami was killed in Israel’s 12-day war against Iran. He was killed on the first day of the war.
- Intelligence Minister Esmael Khatib
A cleric, Khatib was killed by an Israeli strike in Tehran early on March 18. Minister of intelligence since 2021, he was accused by rights groups of playing a key role in the suppression of protests.
- Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh
A veteran of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, Nasirzadeh had served as defence minister since 2024. He was also killed in a strike on the first day of the war.
- Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani
Soleimani headed the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary group that is a branch of the Revolutionary Guards and notorious among rights groups for suppressing protests. He was killed in an airstrike on March 17.
- Revolutionary Guards spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini
Naini was killed at dawn Friday in what the Guards described as a ‘cowardly’ attack by the United States and Israel. Just before his death was confirmed the Fars news agency issued a statement quoting Naini as saying Iran’s missile production deserved a “perfect score” and was continuing despite the war.
