Over an intense 12‑day period starting June 13, 2025, “Operation Rising Lion”—a highly coordinated Israeli military campaign—led to the elimination of at least 30 high-ranking Iranian military and intelligence officials, according to reports from multiple credible sources.
🚨 Strategic Decapitation of Iran's Military Leadership
Top IRGC Commanders
Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami, Commander‑in‑Chief of the IRGC, was killed in an airstrike on June 13 in Tehran .
Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Iran’s General Staff, also fell during the opening strikes .
Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid, head of Khatam‑al‑Anbiya Central HQ, died in the same wave .
Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force (missiles & drones), was confirmed killed by Tehran on June 13 .
Intelligence & Special Units
Brig. Gen. Mehdi Rabbani, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, and Brig. Gen. Gholamreza Mehrabi, Deputy Head of Military Intelligence, perished in the strikes .
Other senior IRGC intelligence leaders—Maj. Gen. Mohammad Kazemi; Brig. Gens. Mohsen Bagheri and Hassan Mohakek; and Maj. Gen. Mohammad Jafar Asadi—were also reported among the dead .
Quds Force & UAV Commanders
Brig. Gens. Mohammad Said Izadi and Behnam Shahriyari, commanders tied to Quds Force operations and weapons transfer to Hezbollah and Hamas, were killed June 21 in targeted strikes .
Additional UAV and air-defense figures—such as Brig. Gen. Davoud Sheikhian (air defense) and Brig. Gen. Mohammad Baqer Taherpour (UAV units)—also perished during the operation .
Continued Attrition in Weeks Two and Three
On June 17, Israeli strikes eliminated Brig. Gen. Ali Shadmani—the freshly appointed head of Khatam‑al‑Anbiya HQ—who had replaced Rashid just days before .
Across various published accounts, a total of 30 senior commanders—spanning the IRGC’s core, aerospace units, Quds Force, Basij leadership, and police intelligence—were reported killed . Tehran memorial services were held June 28 to honor the slain officers .
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Decisive leadership void: Removing the top three IRGC generals and wiping out layers of command—from intelligence chiefs to UAV leaders—weakened Iran’s military coordination and rapid retaliation capacity.
Nuclear and drone setbacks: Israeli strikes also targeted nuclear infrastructure and missile production sites. Iran acknowledges serious damage, but Western analysts suggest reconstruction will take months, not years .
Psychological warfare component: Leaked audio reveals Israel’s “Rising Lion” included Mossad-led warnings to 20+ Iranian officials, warning them to flee or be killed—adding pressure alongside conventional strikes .
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🔭 A Shifting Balance in the Iran–Israel Standoff
Operation Rising Lion marks a historically bold escalation—simultaneously executing deep strikes into Iranian territory and neutralizing its military leadership. The combined kinetic and psychological campaign severely impaired Iran’s command structure, missile/drone capabilities, and nuclear progress. While rebuilding is underway, Iran's ability to project power in the near future will likely be diminished, creating a strategic window for Israel and its allies.
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