These are the leaders in Iran that Israel and the US have tried to kill
When the United States and Israel went to war against Iran on Saturday morning, one of the goals was to kill a number of military and political leaders in Iran.
Both countries have been clear that they want regime change in Iran . One way to achieve this is to remove the most powerful players.
The first wave of attacks is said to have mainly concentrated on targeting Iranian leaders, an unnamed source told Reuters news agency.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) also said they struck several targets where top Iranian leaders had gathered in Iran. According to NBC News, the Israeli Defense Forces attacked three locations where military and political leaders were said to have gathered for meetings.
The IDF is now assessing the results of the attacks, according to the AFP news agency.
In this story you can read which top leaders Iran and the United States are said to have tried to kill:
- the leader of the Revolutionary Guard
- the Minister of Defense
- the intelligence chief
- Iran's Supreme Leader
- the president
- Khamenei's advisor
Revolutionary Guards chief Mohammad Pakpour
According to the Times of Israel and broadcaster Kan , Israeli officials believe Pakpour was likely killed in an Israeli airstrike. This has not been confirmed by Iran.
Pakpour has led
since 2025. The Guard is one of the most powerful organizations in Iran.The Revolutionary Guards have great influence over foreign policy and security. They control large parts of the economy in Iran.
- NRK explains: Why is this happening now?
Minister of Defense Aziz Nasirzadeh
Two sources familiar with Israel's military operation told Reuters that Israel believes the defense minister was killed in Saturday's attack. A person, whom Reuters described as a regional source, also told the news agency that the defense minister was likely killed.
The message has not been confirmed by official sources.
Nasirzadeh became the Minister of Defense in August 2024. He is a trained pilot, and has a background in the Iranian Air Force.
Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
86-year-old Ali Khamenei has been Iran's supreme leader since 1989. He has direct and indirect power over politics, military forces, and the media in Iran .
A source with knowledge of the attacks says that Khamenei was one of the targets.
Several media outlets have published satellite images of the area in Tehran where the supreme leader is expected to live. The images show black smoke and damage to the buildings.
Several media outlets report that Khamenei was not in the capital when the attacks began, but that he had been transported to a safe location.
In an interview with CBS News, Iran's foreign minister says that Khamenei is alive "as far as I know."
On Saturday afternoon, the Iranian TV station al-Alam announced that Khamenei would give a speech in a few minutes.
Khamenei's advisor Ali Shamkani
The man described as one of Ali Khamenei's closest advisors was one of the targets of today's attack, according to broadcaster Kan .
According to Israeli Channel 12 , Shamkani is a central figure in Iran's nuclear program. The channel reports that Shamkani was probably killed in an airstrike, but this has not been confirmed.
Intelligence Chief Esmaeil Khatib
Khatib is Iran's intelligence minister. According to the Times of Israel , Khatib was likely killed in Saturday's attack, but this has not been confirmed by official sources.
President Masoud Pezeshikan
The Iranian president is also said to have been the target of the attacks, according to Reuters.
The Iranian news agency Tasnim has reported that several missiles hit an area near the presidential palace.
Both the president's son and advisor have written on social media that Pezeshikan is alive, reports the BBC .
Iran's Foreign Minister: – Everything is fine
On Saturday afternoon, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke to American NBC News .
According to the minister, one or two commanders have been killed. He claims the top brass are still alive.
"All the high-ranking officials are alive. So everyone is in place and handling the situation. Everything is fine," Araghchi says.
According to the Iranian news agency Fars, the head of the Security Council and Iran's military chief is alive.
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