The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Tuesday claimed to have killed Iran’s most senior military official, General Ali Shadmani, in a targeted airstrike in Tehran.
Shadmani, a close military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, served as Iran’s war-time Chief of Staff and was considered the regime’s top military strategist.
In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, the IDF announced, “For the second time in five days, the IDF has eliminated Iran’s War-Time Chief of Staff, the regime’s top military commander. Ali Shadmani, Iran’s senior-most military official and Khamenei’s closest military advisor, was killed in an IAF strike in central Tehran, following precise intelligence.”
The strike marks a dramatic escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, now in its fifth day. Israeli forces have described the campaign as part of a broader effort to dismantle Iranian influence and military capabilities across the region.
“The war against Iranian proxies is active on all fronts,” the IDF said.
It added that Israeli troops recently conducted a “targeted operation” to map out extensive Hamas tunnel infrastructure near the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza.
According to the military, the tunnel network had connections to senior Hamas leaders, including Mohammed Sinwar, whose body was reportedly recovered in the area.
The IDF claimed the tunnel was neutralised by injecting approximately 250 cubic metres of concrete, stressing that the operation was carried out with precision to avoid damaging the hospital.
The surge in hostilities between Iran and Israel has already claimed dozens of lives. According to CNN, at least 224 people have been killed in Iran and 24 in Israel since the fighting began. Both countries have exchanged missile strikes, and civilians in multiple regions remain under threat from ongoing aerial bombardments.
In an interview with the local media on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Israel’s military strategy and indicated a willingness to continue targeting Iran’s top leadership.
When asked whether assassinating Ayatollah Khamenei would escalate the war, Netanyahu said such an action would actually end the conflict.
“It’s not going to escalate the conflict, it’s going to end the conflict,” Netanyahu told the media.
Referring to Iran’s long-standing regional activities, he added, “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, subversion and sabotage everywhere.”
Netanyahu also accused Iran of seeking to maintain a state of perpetual war, saying, “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 aggression. We are standing up to the forces of evil.”
Asked whether Israel would directly target Khamenei, Netanyahu did not offer a definitive answer but suggested that nothing was off the table. “I’m not going to get into the details, but we’ve targeted their top nuclear scientists. It’s basically Hitler’s nuclear team,” he said.
The Prime Minister also referenced a reported past disagreement between Israel and the United States. According to some reports, former US President Donald Trump had previously rejected an Israeli proposal to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader, fearing such a move could spiral into a larger war. Netanyahu dismissed this concern and reiterated his belief that a firm response is the only path to peace.
Last week, Israel launched “Operation Rising Lion,” a broad military campaign that included airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities. Iran responded with ballistic missile attacks on several Israeli cities.
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