Major Escalation: Zionist Entity Strikes Key Iranian Sites, Top Commanders Killed
Iranian authorities have confirmed that strategic sites in Tehran and Isfahan province were targeted by attacks launched by the Zionist entity, resulting in the deaths of several prominent military leaders and nuclear experts, in what marks a significant escalation between the two sides.
The public relations office at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran announced the suspension of all flights. Additionally, an Iraqi government source stated that Iraqi airspace has been closed to all forms of aviation.
Iranian state television reported loud explosions in the city of Natanz and rising smoke from the Natanz nuclear facility. It added that the sounds heard in Tehran were linked to both Zionist attacks and air defense systems. The Iranian News Agency reported that residential neighborhoods in eastern Tehran were among the areas targeted.
According to The New York Times, an Iranian official confirmed that the Shahid Mahallati residential complex in Tehran—home to senior military commanders—was hit, with three residential buildings destroyed. State media also confirmed that the Natanz nuclear facility was targeted, noting that there have been no reports of nuclear contamination so far.
In a critical development, Iranian news agency Tasnim confirmed the death of Major General Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in the ongoing Zionist attack. The IRGC also confirmed his death, stating that he was killed along with several colleagues and guards while performing sensitive national security duties. The IRGC vowed that the Zionist entity would “pay a heavy price” and promised a “harsh and humiliating retaliation.”
Iranian media also reported that Ali Shamkhani, senior advisor to the Supreme Leader, was severely wounded and transferred to the hospital in critical condition. Nour News confirmed that his residence was directly targeted. Initially, the Iranian News Agency reported that Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri was unharmed and in the operations room, but Iranian state TV later announced his death in the attack.
Additionally, Iranian media confirmed the death of nuclear engineering professor Ahmad Reza Zoufaghari, as well as prominent nuclear scientists Fereydoun Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, in the Zionist strike.
In the first official response, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei stated, “The Zionist entity must await severe punishment,” emphasizing that the martyrdom of commanders and scientists would not halt the country’s progress and that their colleagues would immediately carry on their responsibilities. He warned that the Zionist entity has “prepared a bitter and painful fate for itself that it will inevitably face.”
The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to take immediate action following the Zionist bombardment of multiple sites in Iran, reminding him of his responsibilities.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News that “Iran must not possess a nuclear weapon,” expressing hope that negotiations could resume. Reuters quoted a U.S. official saying that talks between American and Iranian envoys are still planned for Sunday.
