New Delhi: In an unexpected escalation of hostilities, Israel launched “Operation Rising Lion”, precision military strikes on the Iranian territory that resulted in the death of three of the most influential leaders of the country. This operation is significant, as it involved over 200 Israeli fighter jets and targeted attacks.
Israeli PM Netanyahu said that his country launched a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival. He said that the operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.
Iran’s Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, meanwhile, called Israel’s attack on Tehran as “satanic”. He has warned Jerusalem of severe punishment.
Top officials of Iran killed in Israeli attack
The most high profile casualty was Major General Hossein Salami, Commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He was appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khanmenei in 2019. Salami was the public face of Iran’s hardline military doctrine and a key architect of Tehran’s regional strategy through proxy militias in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.
Another top Army commander killed in the Israeli attack was Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces. He was an influential figure, especially, in Iran’s military hierarchy.
Bagheri was known to be the bridge between the Supreme Leader and operational military forces, with direct control over joint operations and strategic defence. Bagheri had been the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the country’s highest military position, since 2016.
The third top ranking official who was killed in the attacks was Ali Shamkhani. Shamkhani was a close aide to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Khanmenei and represented the country at the talks that led to the historic agreement to restore diplomatic ties with rival Saudi Arabia.
Israel’s strike was specifically aimed to “decapitate” Iran’s military command structure and severely disrupt its strategic capabilities. The operation also led to the loss of key nuclear scientists and security advisors including former nuclear chief Fereydoon Abbasi. Abbasi, was a nuclear scientist, served as the head of Islamic Atomic Energy Organisation from 2011 to 2013.
Counter offensives launched
In the wake of this attack, Iran retaliated with a wave of drone and missile attacks. Most of them were intercepted by the Israeli defence systems. Iran plans to give ‘a harsh response’ to the attack, according to a Reuters report.
The deaths of Salami, Bagheri and Shamkhani is a blow to Iran’s military establishment and also its nuclear program. The strikes have left a vaccum in Iran’s defence leadership that might cripple its position in the world.
