Brigadier General Mohammad Qasemi, the intelligence chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and his deputy, General Hassan Mohaqiq, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed during an interview with Fox News.
The Middle East conflict is rapidly escalating into a full-scale war, with rising casualties and increasing attacks on populated areas. Israeli retaliation has caused significant destruction in Tehran, with reports indicating that more than 400 Iranians have already been killed.
The killing of Iran’s top intelligence figures comes amid Israeli media reports that 14 Iranian nuclear scientists have been killed in Israeli strikes since Friday. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a list of nine scientists, all linked to Iran’s nuclear program, who were killed in the attacks.
In a significant escalation, Israel claimed that the Israeli Air Force had destroyed an Iranian fuel tanker at Mashhad Airport, located 2,300 kilometers from Israeli territory, marking the longest-range target Israel has ever struck.
Israel also claimed it had taken control of Tehran’s airspace and issued a stark warning, as reported by The Guardian, that Tehran would be “burned” if it launched missiles again.
The conflict intensified further on Sunday, with both countries engaging in missile and drone attacks. After targeting Iran’s nuclear and military facilities, Israel extended its offensive to civilian infrastructure, including the police headquarters in Tehran. The Israeli military stated that it had struck over 80 sites in the Iranian capital overnight, including the headquarters of the Iranian Ministry of Defense and the office of the nuclear program known as SPND.
Amid growing global concern, U.S. President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran may be on the horizon. He noted that several meetings and phone calls are underway in an effort to de-escalate tensions, even as the region remains on edge from ongoing aggressive retaliations.
