Iran's Revolutionary Guard Commander Hossein Salami Killed in Israeli Strike

Iran on Friday confirmed the killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Hossein Salami in an Israeli strike. Major General Hossein Salami, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was killed in the Israeli attack on the IRGC headquarters.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is one of the main power centers within the country’s theocracy. It also controls Iran’s arsenal of ballistic missiles.

In addition to Salamani, the Chief of Iran's military is believed to have been eliminated in the military operation launched by Israel on Thursday. Mohammad Bagheri was "likely eliminated" along with senior nuclear scientists as Israel struck key parts of Iran’s nuclear and military program, they said.

The likelihood of their deaths are "increasing," an Israel defense official was quoted as saying by Times of Israel.

Israel launched a military operation against Iran late Thursday, with explosions reported in Tehran.

The escalation is aimed at neutralising what it calls an "existential threat" posed by Iran.

In an official statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that "this operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat."

"Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival. This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat. For decades, the tyrants of Tehran have brazenly, openly called for Israel's destruction. They've backed up their genocidal rhetoric with a program to develop nuclear weapons. In recent years, Iran has produced enough highly enriched uranium for nine atom bombs. Nine," he said.

The Israeli PM asserted that the Jewish state "refuses to be a victim of a nuclear holocaust" perpetrated by the Iranian regime and "will never allow those who call for our annihilation to develop the means to achieve that goal."

Netanyahu further stated, "Tonight, Israel backs those words with action. We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment program. We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear weaponisation program. We targeted Iran's main enrichment facility in Natanz. We targeted Iran's leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb. We also struck at the heart of Iran's ballistic missile program."

The attack comes as tensions have reached new heights over Tehran's rapidly-advancing nuclear programme. The Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the first time in 20 years on Thursday censured Iran over it not working with its inspectors. Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment site in the country and swap out some centrifuges for more-advanced ones.