Iran confirms death of defense minister and chief of armed forces

Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Abdolrahim Mousavi

Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi was killed along with other senior generals in US and Israeli strikes on the country, state TV reported on Sunday.

State TV listed the name of Mousavi along with defense minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Revolutionary Guards chief Mohammad Pakpour, and head of the defense council Ali Shamkhani as among those killed during Saturday’s strikes.

It said they were killed “during a Defense Council meeting,” adding that other names will be announced later.

This comes as celebrations have been reported among some Iranians both inside Iran and around the world after news spread that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint United States Armed Forces–Israel Defense Forces airstrike campaign targeting Iranian leadership and regime structures.

On Saturday, Israel announced it had launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran, saying the operation was intended to neutralise threats posed by Tehran’s nuclear and missile programmes. The strikes reportedly involved coordination with US forces and hit multiple targets across Iranian territory. Sirens sounded in Israel as concerns grew of possible Iranian retaliation.

Explosions were widely reported in Tehran, with Iranian media confirming military activity. The operation has shattered recent diplomatic efforts aimed at renewing talks between Washington and Tehran over the nuclear dispute.