Iran vs Israel US War: Is Iran’s top leadership finished? Know who has been killed so far

Iran Top Leadership Crisis Explained: The past few times, especially the recent weeks, have proved extremely fatal for Iran’s top leadership. Supreme Leader of Iran in a major joint operation (by America and Israel) on 28 February Death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei It’s done. The attack has shaken the center of Iranian power as it killed Khamenei as well as the Defense Minister and a top IRGC commander.

Iran has now announced its new leadership. Khamenei’s son Mojtaba Khamenei has been elected the new supreme leader of Iran. However, Israel and America have made it clear that they can also target the new leadership, due to which tension in the region is at its peak.

Who among Iran’s top leadership has been killed so far?

• Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (28 February): EIran’s supreme leader Khamenei was killed in an Israeli air strike on his residence in Tehran. He was ruling Iran since 1989 and his demise has created a huge power vacuum in the country. After his death, 40 days of mourning was declared in Iran.
• Aziz Nasirzadeh (28 February): Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh was also killed in the same major attack along with Khamenei. He was playing an important role in the security of Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure and had warned of targeting US military bases.
• Major General Mohammad Pakur (28 February): He was the ground force commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The death of Pakur, who was involved in strategic meetings, is being considered a big blow to Iranian military power.
• Abdulrahim Mousavi (28 February): General Mousavi, Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, was also killed in these attacks. He was the head of Iran’s entire military strategy and coordination, whose killing is a sign of the complete destruction of the leadership.
• Ali Shamkhani (28 February): Ali Shamkhani, Security Advisor to the Supreme Leader and Secretary of the Defense Council, is another big name in this list. He had also previously been IRGC Navy Chief and was one of Khamenei’s closest strategists.
• Hassan Nasrallah (27 September 2024): Nasrallah, the head of Iran’s most powerful ally Hezbollah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. Although he was not directly in the Iranian government, he was the main face of Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance’ and his death weakened Iran’s regional hold.
• Ibrahim Raisi (19 May 2024): Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash. They were involved in a crash due to bad weather near the Azerbaijan border, which also killed Foreign Minister Amir-Abdullahian. Raisi was considered the successor of Khamenei.
• Ismail Haniyeh (31 July 2024): Hamas political chief Haniyeh was assassinated in a secure guest house in Tehran. He had come to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new Iranian President. His death had raised serious questions on Iran’s security system.
• Brigadier General Abbas Nilforoushan (27 September 2024): IRGC Deputy Commander (Operations) Nilforoushan was killed along with Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon. He oversaw Iran’s military operations in Lebanon and Syria and his death dealt a blow to the IRGC’s foreign wing.
• Hossein Jabal Amelian and other commanders (28 February 2026): SPND (Defence Innovation Organisation) Chairman Amelyan and several other senior defense officials like Raza Muzaffari have also been killed in the recent attacks. Many nuclear scientists and technical experts are also said to be included in these.

Iran’s top leadership is currently going through the most difficult phase in its history. The elimination of top political, military and religious leaders in the last two years has destabilized the country’s ‘command and control’ to a great extent. Efforts are being made for a new beginning under the leadership of Mojtaba Khamenei, but amid increasing pressure from Israel and America, it is clear that the old Iran has now completely changed.