In the framework of Operation “Ascending Lion”, the Israeli army announced this Saturday that, so far, more than 20 Iranian commanders have been killed, including those primarily responsible for the intelligence and missile apparatus of the Tehran regime. “Since the beginning of the operation (Friday), more than 20 commanders of the Iranian regime’s security apparatus have been eliminated,” the army said in a statement, in which it named several senior officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the armed forces. The attack, led by the Israeli Air Force and backed by precise intelligence information, targeted key figures in the command structure of the Iranian armed forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC). The first strike of this operation occurred during the past early morning, when Israeli fighter jets carried out selective attacks following an intelligence effort led by the Intelligence Directorate of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Among the deceased is Gholam-Reza Marhabi, head of the Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, considered until the moment of his death as the most relevant intelligence officer of the regime. Marhabi was responsible for overseeing situational analyses and operational planning for the Iranian army. During the last year, he played a crucial role in the preparation and execution of military and intelligence operations against Israel, establishing himself as a respected figure in the regime’s inner circle and maintaining a close relationship with the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Mohammad Hossein Bagheri. Along with Marhabi, Bagheri, who led the IRGC’s surface-to-surface missile arsenal, also died in the Israeli attack. This force represents one of the main offensive resources of the Islamic republic and is considered one of the most significant tools in the projection of Iranian military power in the region. Bagheri was responsible for most of the long-range and cruise missile capabilities used by Iran in previous operations against Israel, both in April and October 2024. His elimination occurred in an underground headquarters located in Tehran, along with other senior officials, including Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Revolutionary Guard Air Force. Israeli authorities claim that the scope of the operation exceeds the two senior commanders and encompasses more than twenty key figures in the Iranian security apparatus, with responsibility in both military intelligence and the planning and use of long-range missile systems. The ayatollahs’ regime acknowledged the death of several senior military commanders, including the top official of the Revolutionary Guard, Hosein Salami. The Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has already appointed Salami’s replacement, Mohamad Pakpur, until now commander of the Ground Forces. In the international arena, the intelligence community and diplomacy remain in anticipation of Iranian reactions. Various experts warn about the potential impact of these deaths on the chain of command and the morale of the Iranian armed forces, as well as the possibility of retaliation, both direct and through allies in regional conflicts. Awaiting moves from the Tehran regime, Operation “Ascendant Lion” marks a turning point in the methods of warfare between Israel and Iran, and demonstrates the Israeli military intelligence’s ability to penetrate and dismantle the most protected networks of the Iranian security apparatus. The elimination of central figures in the doctrine, planning, and execution of Persian military policy raises questions about the regime’s response capacity and the possible short- and medium-term scenarios in the region.
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