Following Israeli airstrikes that resulted in the deaths of several high-ranking military officials and nuclear scientists, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has swiftly appointed new commanders to crucial positions within the Revolutionary Guards and armed forces, underscoring the country’s commitment to its existing defense strategy.
The situation is tense, with Iranian media and eyewitnesses reporting explosions, including at the Natanz uranium enrichment facility. Israel, anticipating retaliation in the form of missile and drone strikes, has declared a state of emergency.
According to Reuters sources, at least 20 senior Iranian figures, including Revolutionary Guards’ Aerospace Force Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh and multiple scientists, were killed in the strikes.
In response, Ayatollah Khamenei appointed Major General Mohammad Pakpour to succeed Hossein Salami as the IRGC commander and Major General Abdulrahim Mousavi to take over from Mohammad Bagheri as chief of the armed forces general staff. Additionally, Major General Ali Shademani was named commander of the Khatam al-Anbia Headquarters.
Among those killed were:
* **Mohammad Bagheri:** Former IRGC commander and chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces since 2016.
* **Hossein Salami:** Commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) since 2019.
* **Gholamali Rashid:** Head of the IRGC’s Khatam al Anbia headquarters, and formerly deputy chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces.
* **Amir Ali Hajizadeh:** Head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Aerospace Force, identified by Israel as the key figure behind aerial attacks against its territory.
* **Ali Shamkhani:** A highly influential politician and close confidant of Ayatollah Khamenei, who was overseeing nuclear talks with the US.
The nuclear scientists who perished were:
* **Fereydoun Abbasi:** Former head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation (2011-2013).
* **Mohammad Mehdi Tehranji:** Theoretical physicist and president of the Islamic Azad University in Tehran.
* **Abdolhamid Minouchehr:** PhD in nuclear engineering, dean of the nuclear engineering faculty at Shahid Beheshti University.
* **Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari:** Professor of nuclear engineering at Shahid Beheshti University.
* **Amir Hossein Faghihi:** Engineering faculty at Shahid Beheshti University, previously vice president of the AEOI and head of the Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute.
* **Motallebzadeh:** A nuclear scientist killed along with his wife.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, characterized the attacks as a “declaration of war” in a letter to the United Nations, urging the Security Council to address the matter urgently. He invoked Article 51 of the UN Charter, asserting Iran’s right to self-defense and promising a “decisive and proportionate” response.
The escalating tensions have led to significant disruption in air travel. Numerous global airlines have cancelled or rerouted flights to and from Tel Aviv, Tehran, and other destinations in the Middle East as Israel, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, and Syria closed their airspaces. Air India, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Air France were among the airlines affected, with flights being diverted or cancelled. Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, has instructed Russian airlines to avoid the airspace of Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Iran until June 26th. Lufthansa suspended flights to and from Tehran until July 31, and extended its suspension of Tel Aviv flights until the same date. Airports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are also experiencing flight delays and cancellations.
