State TV Confirms Death of Iran’s Top General, Defence Council Members in US–Israeli Strikes

Iranian state television has confirmed the killing of the country’s armed forces chief of staff, Abdolrahim Mousavi, in coordinated United States and Israeli airstrikes carried out on Saturday, dealing a major blow to Iran’s already weakened military leadership.

The broadcaster announced on Sunday, March 1, 2026, that Mousavi was killed alongside Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Mohammad Pakpour, and Defence Council head Ali Shamkhani. According to the report, the senior officials were attending a Defence Council meeting when the strikes hit their location in Tehran.

State television added that more names of high-ranking officials killed in the assault would be released as information becomes available.

Mousavi, aged 65, had served as Iran’s chief of staff since June 2025, following his appointment by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei after the death of his predecessor in earlier Israeli attacks. A veteran of the Iran–Iraq War with more than four decades of military service, Mousavi rose through senior command positions over a 20-year career.

He had been under sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Australia over allegations of the use of lethal force against civilians during the 2019 economic protests and the 2022 unrest that followed the death of Mahsa Amini.

With Mousavi’s death now confirmed, the number of senior Iranian security officials killed in the ongoing strikes has risen to at least seven, according to Iranian authorities and confirmations by the Israel Defense Forces. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the operation as targeting what he called an existential threat posed by Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes.

Earlier reports had confirmed the deaths of Nasirzadeh and Pakpour, but uncertainty surrounded Mousavi’s fate until Sunday’s announcement, which effectively ends speculation about the whereabouts of Iran’s most senior uniformed officer.

Reacting to the development, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that retaliation against those responsible for the attack was both Iran’s duty and legitimate right, vowing that the response would be carried out with full force. Iran has already launched retaliatory missile strikes against targets in Israel and United States military installations across the Gulf region.

At the international level, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking at an emergency UN Security Council session, called for maximum restraint, warning that continued escalation could trigger a wider regional conflict with severe consequences for civilians.

Meanwhile, Iran’s military command structure is reported to be under severe strain. Iran International reported that coordination has broken down in parts of the country, with some commanders and personnel reportedly avoiding military bases amid fears of further precision strikes on command and control facilities.