40 Iranian officials killed in attacks; Iran retaliates

2026-03-01 - 19:57

It has now been confirmed that a number of the most powerful figures within Iran’s ruling establishment have been killed in the large-scale attacks carried out against the country. Foreign media reports, citing intelligence sources, state that approximately 40 Iranian officials in total were killed in the strikes. Among the senior officials reported killed are: Iran’s Supreme Leader – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed yesterday (28) morning in an attack on his official office in Tehran. Commander of the Ground Forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – General Mohammad Pakpour. Iran’s National Security Adviser – Ali Shamkhani. Iran’s Defence Minister – Aziz Nasirzadeh. The loss of these top-tier leaders is being regarded as a devastating blow to Iran’s military and political structure. Reports further indicate that the simultaneous deaths of the Supreme Leader and key defence chiefs have created a significant power vacuum within Iran. Suicide Drones Used in Counterattack Following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps today launched a sixth wave of intense attacks targeting 27 US military bases located in nine countries across the Middle East, as well as the Israeli Defence Forces headquarters and the Tel Nof Airbase in Israel. Iranian forces reportedly used suicide drones and missiles in the assault. In an official statement, the IRGC declared that the response to the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader would be “extremely severe and painful”. The IRGC further claimed that buildings at a US naval base in the Abdullah Mubarak area of Kuwait were completely destroyed, resulting in the deaths of a large number of American service personnel. According to the statement, four ballistic missiles and 12 drones were used in that particular attack. The Guards also asserted that two vessels carrying ammunition and fuel for US naval forces were destroyed using four drones and an Iranian Qadr-380 type missile. Additionally, Iran launched a drone strike on Kuwait International Airport, causing minor injuries to several airport staff and limited damage to terminal facilities.