TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed on Sunday, March 1, 2026, that seven senior Iranian military commanders died in the joint strikes by the US and Israel.
"The Iranian nation expresses condolences ... over the death of a group of dear and brave Iranian armed forces commanders killed in a brutal attack by the criminal regimes of the United States and Israel," the statement read, as quoted by the IRNA news agency and Antara.
The IRGC confirmed that seven high-ranking personnel died in the attack.
On Saturday, the US and Israel carried out a series of attacks on targets inside Iran, including in Tehran, with reports of damage and civilian casualties.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed in his office during the attack on Saturday. Iranian media stated that the country would enter a 40-day period of mourning.
Khamenei's daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren, including IRGC Commander Mohammad Pakpour and security official Ali Shamkhani, were also reported to have been killed in the US-Israeli attack.
At 86, Khamenei had led Iran since 1989, succeeding the first Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ruhollah Khomeini, who took power in 1979.
During his leadership, Iran developed a nuclear program and expanded its support for allied Shiite Muslim actors in the Middle East, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Kata'ib Hezbollah in Iraq. Under his leadership, Iran also funded and trained Hamas, which took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 elections.
But the relatively moderate Khamenei issued a fatwa (decree) prohibiting nuclear weapons, preventing Iran's hardline camp from developing such weapons.
After the announcement of Khamenei's death, the IRGC stated that they would soon launch the "most intense offensive operation" against Israel and US bases in the Middle East.
"The most ferocious offensive operation in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran's armed forces will begin any moment now," the IRGC wrote on Telegram.
The IRGC is an influential branch of Iran's armed forces that adheres to the values of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The government in Tehran also announced a strong retaliation. “This great crime will never remain unanswered and will turn a new page in the history of the Islamic world and Shiism. The pure blood of this high-ranking leader will flow like a roaring spring and will eradicate American-Zionist oppression and crime,” the statement read.
Iran responded with missile attacks on Israeli territory and US military facilities across the Middle East.
Read: Saudi Arabia, Israel Said to Lobby Trump for Iran Strike, US Media Reports
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