February 28th marked the day that Iran lost a number of important senior political and military officials, the direct result of US-Israeli strikes.
The most notable was the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, aged 86. During his more than three decades of rule, since 1989, he consolidated his power domestically through an internal security apparatus and a projection of power, an amalgamation of regional influence and the development of a nuclear program.
Other senior officials include:
- Ali Shamkhani, aged 70, a close ally to Khamenei and a key member of the expediency Discernment Council, a former head of the Supreme National Security Council and former defense minister.
- Aziz Nasirzadeh, aged 62, was Iran’s defence minister from 2024 to 2026, and deputy armed forces chief of staff. His role in military planning and defense policy was instrumental.
Two senior military officials were also counted in the casualties:
- Mohammad Pakpour, aged 64, was commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), Iran’s most powerful military force.
- Abdolrahim Mousavi, aged 65-66, was chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces. A career army officer and former head of the regular army (Artesh), he was responsible for coordinating Iran’s military branches and overseeing conventional forces.
On March 17th, renewed strikes also led to the deaths of:
- Ali Larijani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, aged 67. An erstwhile Revolutionary Guards commander, he was a close advisor to the slain Supreme Leader, and was a key figure in shaping Iran’s strategic decisions. His death is the most senior after that of the Supreme Leader.
- Gholamreza Soleimani, aged 61-62, a senior Revolutionary Guards officer and commander of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force.
On March 18th, an overnight strike led to the death of:
- Esmail Khatib, aged 65, the Intelligence Minister, who since 2021 has been a key figure in Iran’s national security strategy.
Additional senior officials from the IRGC, the army and intelligence have also been reported as killed, particularly in the February 28 strikes.
