Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is facing the most challenging period of his leadership, as most of the country’s top military commanders have been swiftly eliminated by Netanyahu’s forces. Israel’s strike on the Shiite nation on June 13 caused massive destruction, leaving the Muslim country without its key leaders to protect the nation or its supreme leader. Is Iran’s foremost leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at risk? How did Netanyahu respond to the question: “Who’s next?” Which top military officials were taken down by the Israeli strike? Here’s the full story.
What Netanyahu Said On ‘Who’s Next?’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted that eliminating Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could end the crisis between the two nations. Global media interpreted this as a signal that Khamenei might be Israel’s next target. Netanyahu’s remarks came a day after reports surfaced that former U.S. President Donald Trump had blocked an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader. In an interview with ABC News, Netanyahu stated that Israel is not ruling out the possibility of eliminating Khamenei, adding that such an action could end the ‘forever war’ that Iran is pursuing.
Netanyahu said. “We’ve had half a century of conflict spread by this regime that terrorises everyone in the Middle East; has bombed the Aramco oil fields in Saudi Arabia; is spreading terrorism and subversion and sabotage everywhere,” Netanyahu said. “The ‘forever war’ is what Iran wants, and they’re bringing us to the brink of nuclear war. What Israel is doing is preventing this, bringing an end to this aggression, and we can only do so by standing up to the forces of evil.”
Speaking to ABC News, Netanyahu also said that Israel targeted Iran’s top nuclear scientists which is basically like Hitler’s nuclear team. “Today, it’s Tel Aviv. Tomorrow, it’s New York. Look, I understand ‘America First’. I don’t understand ‘America Dead’. That’s what these people want. They chant ‘Death to America.’So we’re doing something that is in the service of mankind, of humanity, and it’s a battle of good against evil. America does, should, and does stand with the good. That’s what President Trump is doing, and I deeply appreciate his support,” Netanyahu said.
What Happened On June 13
Israel struck Iran with full force on Friday. The conflict has killed several high-ranking members of the Iranian leadership. While 16 military officials were confirmed dead, more than 20 senior officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other top commanders were among those targeted in Israel’s attacks. Here are the top military officials killed so far.
Mohammad Bagheri
Bagheri has been the Chief of Staff of the Iranian armed forces since 2016. Bagheri was reportedly killed in an Israeli missile strike on Thursday night, during Israel’s attack on Iran. He held a very senior position in the Iranian military- only Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had a higher rank or more authority than him. He coordinated Iran’s armed forces- both the regular army and paramilitary units- and played a central role in shaping the regime’s military doctrine.
Hossein Salami
Apart from Bagheri, Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC, Salami was another close aide to the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Salami was known for his tough stance against Iran’s main rivals, especially Israel and the United States. He had a long military background, having fought in the Iran-Iraq War from 1980 to 1988. As one of the early members of the Revolutionary Guards, he rose steadily through the ranks. He served as the deputy commander of the Guards for nine years before being appointed as the overall commander in 2019.
Gholamali Rashid And Ali Hajizadeh
Gholam Ali Rashid served as the deputy commander-in-chief of Iran’s armed forces and headed the IRGC’s Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, which is in charge of coordinating joint military operations. A veteran of the Iran-Iraq War, Rashid supported Iran’s alliances with regional groups that oppose Israel and the United States, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. Ali Hajizadeh, meanwhile, was the commander of the IRGC’s Aerospace Force. He led Iran’s missile program and was responsible for carrying out the missile attack on Israel in April 2024.
Mohammad Kazemi
Mohammad Kazemi was the head of intelligence for the Revolutionary Guards. He was killed in an Israeli strike on Sunday. His death was announced by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the same evening during an interview on US TV channel Fox News. Later, Tehran confirmed his death.
Other Brigadier Generals And Senior Officers Killed
Mohsen Bagheri, Davood Shekhian, Mohammad Bagher Taherpour, Mansour Safarpour, Masoud Tayeb, Khosro Hassani, Mohammad Jafari and Javad Jarsara were among those killed by Israeli army form June 13.
Nuclear Scientists Killed
Israel has said that as many as 14 top nuclear scientists were also killed in Israel’s targeted attacks since Friday. Fereydoun Abbasi, the former head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, was among those Nuclear scientists which were reportedly killed by Israel. The attack was aimed at preventing Tehran from building a nuclear weapon.
Abbasi had been in the headlines before: In 2010, he narrowly survived an assassination attempt when a motorcyclist attached an explosive device to his car in Tehran- an accusation Israel neither confirmed nor denied.
