Israel has killed three top generals, including the leader of the powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps, and a number of nuclear scientists in strikes on Iran. The Israeli military said more than 200 fighter jets were involved in the attacks which struck around 100 targets across Iran, with Tehran launching 100 drones in retaliation.
The Israel Defence Force (IDF) says Iran’s three most senior military commanders were killed in the attacks, codenamed ‘Operation Rising Lion’, which focused on the “heart” of the country’s nuclear programme, as well as ballistic missile facilities and senior military leaders. It said Major General Hossein Salami; Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps paramilitary force, Major General Mohammad Bagheri; Chief of Staff of Iran’s armed forces and Major General Gholamali Rashid; Commander of Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters were all killed. Iranian state media confirmed the deaths of the chiefs and said six nuclear scientists had also died.
So far, five of the six scientists have been named as Mohammad Mahdi Tehranchi, Abdulhamid Minouchehr, Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari, Amirhossein Feqhi and Fereydoon Abbasi, former head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation.
Iranian state media claims civilians, including children in Tehran, have also been killed.
Israel launched the strikes in the early hours on Friday, describing them as “pre-emptive”.
Source: Express.co.uk
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