Tehran: Iranian state television confirmed that Gen Hossein Salami, head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, was killed in Israeli strikes on Friday morning. Salami, 65, led one of Iran’s most powerful institutions, and his death marks a significant blow to the country’s leadership as it grapples with ongoing regional conflict and internal challenges.
In a swift response, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed Mohammad Pakpour as the new commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Pakpour, previously head of the Guard’s ground forces, is expected to continue Iran’s strategic military objectives in the region.
Appointed in 2019, Salami oversaw the Guard’s missile programme and foreign operations, particularly through the elite Quds Force. Under his leadership, the Guard supported Tehran’s allies across the Middle East, including in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.
Salami was known for his harsh rhetoric towards Israel and the United States. After the US assassination of Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020, Salami threatened retaliation, warning that American and Israeli commanders would have “no safe place”. Days later, Iran launched ballistic missiles at US bases in Iraq.
The Guard’s missile arsenal, which includes ballistic and cruise missiles, has been central to Iran’s military posture. The force launched attacks against Israel twice during the current Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Salami was also behind April’s unprecedented retaliatory strike against Israel, which saw more than 300 drones and missiles fired after Israeli airstrikes killed Iranian generals in Syria. While most of the projectiles were intercepted, the incident pushed the region closer to broader conflict.
Israel’s military said its latest strikes targeted missile manufacturing sites and weakened Iran’s air defences, paving the way for Friday’s operation.
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