Iran Air Force command reportedly neutralized in underground bunker

A significant blow has reportedly been dealt to Iran’s military leadership, as most of the command structure of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Air Force was eliminated in a targeted Israeli strike on an underground command facility.

The development was announced by Israeli media, Caliber.Az reports.

According to the report, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz convened a high-level security meeting with Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Mossad Director David (Dedy) Barnea, and other senior officials of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The briefing came amid heightened military activity in the region following recent escalations between Israel and Iran.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Katz was reportedly informed that Israeli intelligence and air force operations had succeeded in neutralizing a majority of the IRGC Air Force leadership while they were stationed inside a fortified underground command centre.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) initiated a large-scale military operation codenamed Rising Lion on June 13, during which the Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducted multiple waves of precision airstrikes across Iranian territory. The operation focused on military installations and components of Iran’s nuclear program.

According to initial reports, targets included key strategic sites in Tehran, where several high-ranking Iranian military officials were killed.

The attacks also resulted in the deaths of key Iranian military and scientific leaders. Among the casualties was Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces. General Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was also killed, a loss that the IRGC officially confirmed.

Additionally, Ali Shamkhani, Iran’s former national security chief, was reported dead, along with several other high-ranking military officers and nuclear scientists.

By Vafa Guliyeva