Following Israel's invasion, which resulted in the deaths of more than 20 senior Iranian military officials, Iran's Supreme Leader immediately appointed their successors.
On June 13 (local time), Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed Major General Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi as the new Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces.
Additionally, he appointed Major General Mohammad Pakpour as the Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), promoted Ali Shademani to Brigadier General, and assigned him as the Commander of the IRGC's air defense unit, Khatam al-Anbiya.
Reuters, citing local sources, reported that more than 20 senior Iranian commanders were killed in an Israeli airstrike that day.
According to the sources, Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces; Hossein Salami, Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC; and Gholamali Rashid, Commander of Khatam al-Anbiya, were among those killed.
Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force and head of Iran's ballistic missile program, was also reported to have been killed.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that "last night, intelligence confirmed that senior IRGC Air Force leadership had gathered in an underground command center to prepare attacks against Israel," and that "in response, Air Force fighter jets struck the command center where Hajizadeh and other high-ranking officials were present."
The IDF stated that, in addition to Hajizadeh, the strike eliminated Taher-Pour, Commander of the IRGC Air Force UAV Unit, and Davoud Shaikian, Commander of the Air Force Airborne Command Unit.
At least six Iranian nuclear scientists were also reported to have been killed in the airstrike.
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