IDF Claims Elimination of Top Iranian Military Commanders in Major Airstrikes

Tel Aviv – In a major escalation of tensions in the Middle East, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Friday announced that it had eliminated three senior Iranian military commanders in a series of overnight airstrikes across Iran.

According to an official IDF statement posted on social media platform X, the airstrikes—conducted by over 200 fighter jets—killed the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, the Commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), and the head of Iran’s Emergency Command.

“These were three ruthless mass murderers with international blood on their hands. The world is a better place without them,” the IDF stated.

The strikes, which targeted multiple locations, have sharply heightened fears of a broader regional war. Though Iranian authorities have not officially confirmed the deaths of all three commanders, Iranian state media did report the death of IRGC Commander Hossein Salami in an Israeli airstrike.

Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB also reported a series of powerful explosions heard early Friday morning in Tehran and several other cities.

Describing the mission as a “targeted military operation,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the airstrikes in a televised address, stating the operation was intended to “roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.”

“This campaign will continue for as long as necessary to eliminate the existential danger posed to us,” Netanyahu said.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called the assault a “preemptive strike,” and declared a special state of emergency to ensure the country’s defense preparedness.

The attack comes amid rising tensions over Iran’s nuclear program and follows a warning earlier this week from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Tehran had vowed immediate retaliation against any attack on its territory, threatening to strike Israeli nuclear facilities that it claimed to have located through recent intelligence efforts.

With inputs from IANS