The IDF eliminates Iran's new military chief as Tehran launches more missiles at Israel
The Islamic Republic of Iran launched a new wave of missiles at Israel this morning, following previous bombings during the night. At least two missiles landed in areas north of Tel Aviv, causing fires in a bus parking lot in Herzliya and leaving two people hospitalised. At the same time, drones struck the Golan Heights for the second time, although the Israeli Air Force managed to shoot down at least one drone before it could cause further damage.
For their part, the Israeli Defence Forces announced the elimination of Ali Shadmani, the newly appointed Iranian military chief and one of Ali Khamenei's most trusted men. The attack, described as ‘surgical’, destroyed a command centre in the heart of Tehran. According to the Israeli army, Shadmani had played key roles as Chief of Staff and Commander of the Emergency Command of the Iranian Armed Forces during the war.
The bombing also hit the headquarters of the Iranian state television network, the regime's main propaganda tool, causing chaos in the middle of a live broadcast. Sahar Emami, a presenter on the Islamic Republic News Network, suddenly left the set when the bombs hit, while people could be heard shouting ‘Allahu akbar’ (‘God is great’). The station was evacuated after the attack, which included a warning that affected some 330,000 residents in the area, including hospitals and police stations.
‘The Iranian regime's propaganda and incitement broadcasting authority was attacked by the IDF following a widespread evacuation of residents in the area,’ Israel Katz said. ‘We will strike the Iranian dictator everywhere.’ The Iranian state broadcaster is one of the regime's main propaganda tools; in addition to spreading hatred towards Israel, it has played a key role in the repression of citizens during protests.
Following Shadmani's death, Esmail Baqaei, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, urged the international community to act. ‘We insist on the need for urgent measures at the international and regional levels to stop the war imposed on Iran,’ he said.
Meanwhile, the Fars news agency reported threats from the commander of the Iranian ground forces of a new round of attacks ‘that will intensify in the coming hours.’ Iranian media also reported that air defences had been activated around the Natanz nuclear facility.
Amid this situation, US President Donald Trump hardened his stance and called on the Iranian regime to abandon its nuclear programme. Since his early departure from the G7 summit in Canada, Trump warned Tehran residents to evacuate immediately. He also refused to sign the G7 joint statement, which called for de-escalation and preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear power.
The Iranian capital, a sprawling city of about 10 million people, has seen growing panic in recent days as Israeli attacks continue. Videos circulating online show residents fleeing the capital, especially after Trump's statements, fearing further escalation.
‘If we continue like this, in a week or two we could significantly reduce the threat’
One of the Israeli government's main objectives is to destroy Iran's ballistic missile arsenal and degrade the regime's nuclear enrichment capabilities.
‘We attacked a terrorist target and then eliminated launchers and trucks with ballistic missiles. Last night, we succeeded in reducing the Iranian regime's ability to fire ballistic missiles at Israel by 50%. If we allow Iran to have nuclear weapons, the price will be much higher. We have to finish this job,’ explained Masha Michelson, IDF spokesperson, during a briefing organised by EIPA.
Israel estimates that Iran has around 2,000 ballistic missiles and has fired around 350 during the current offensive. According to retired General Giora Eiland, former head of the National Security Council, Israel has destroyed approximately 30% of Iran's ballistic missile launchers. ‘If we continue like this, in a week or two we could significantly reduce the threat,’ he said.
Eiland also explained that he believes ‘Israel is receiving help in one form or another from some Iranians,’ although the actual extent of this cooperation remains unclear.
‘We can assume that there are three levels of Iranians who, directly or indirectly, could help us,’ Eiland explained. ‘First, when we located some of the Israeli groups that were inside Iran and launched drones from a short distance against Iranian facilities, they may have received help from the local population.’
Second, he continued, Israel is probably encouraging some groups inside Iran, and he does not even rule out an approach to certain Iranian military forces — not the Revolutionary Guard, but the conventional army — to perhaps consider that the time has come to act. ‘It could be done very, very tacitly, but I can't rule it out,’ he added.
‘And thirdly,’ he added, ‘in some way, Israel is even formally calling on Iranians to try to rise up against their government.’ However, Eiland was sceptical that the Iranian population is willing to mobilise in large numbers against its government at this time, due both to the strong presence of the Basij paramilitary force, which is responsible for internal security, and the difficulty of collaborating with an enemy during a war.
‘Normally, people don't tend to rebel against their own government during a war because it's not considered patriotic enough,’ Eiland explained. ‘They might react later, once the war is over, and then they might decide that the time has come to do more than just complain.’
‘I cannot hide the fact that the Israeli government's goal is for something like this to happen soon,’ he stressed. However, Eiland does not believe it will happen ‘in the near future.’