The top leadership of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence directorate was eliminated in a major Israeli airstrike in central Tehran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed in a Fox News interview Sunday.
According to Netanyahu, the strike killed Mohammad Kazemi, head of the IRGC’s intelligence directorate, along with his deputy, Mohammad Hassan Mohaqiq. The attack, which came amid a broader wave of Israeli airstrikes on dozens of targets across Tehran, marked one of the most significant blows to Iran’s internal security apparatus since the beginning of Israel's preemptive Operation Rising Lion.
Israeli airstrike in eastern Tehran
Targets struck in the capital included air defense systems, military sites tied to the IRGC—one of which reportedly housed the intelligence officials—and ballistic missile sites, according to the IDF.
Before Netanyahu’s confirmation, Iran International, a London-based opposition-affiliated outlet, reported that Kazemi and Mohaghegh were trapped under rubble following the strike on the intelligence building in Tehran. Their status was initially listed as unknown.
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Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence deputy chief Mohammad Hassan Mohaqiq
(Illustration: IDF)
Reuters reported separately that President Donald Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
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As the strikes unfolded, IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir conducted a situation assessment with top Air Force officials at the underground command center, visiting both defensive and offensive control rooms. Zamir praised the execution of the operation, saying Israel’s air campaign was “changing the strategic reality.”
“These offensive actions in Iran are removing existential threats and laying the foundation for Israel’s security,” Zamir said, noting that the strikes were precisely targeted against regime infrastructure and nuclear assets.
He also emphasized the importance of Israel’s home front resilience: “A strong home front gives us the strength to complete our mission. We will continue to act decisively, with power, responsibility, and full cooperation across our security branches, until all objectives are achieved.”