The chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Iran early Friday morning, Iranian state television and the Israel Defense Forces confirmed.

Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami was the chief of one of the country’s most powerful centers, and his death was a tough blow to Iran’s embattled leadership, which has had a series of setbacks in the past 20 months of Middle Eastern war and unrest.

Salami rose to power six years ago and had a history of threatening the US and Israel.

In addition to Salami, the IDF said the chief of Iran’s military, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, and the head of the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters — also known as the emergency command — Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid, were also killed in strikes on Iran early Friday.

Iranian media also confirmed their deaths.

Another strike in Iran eliminated the commander of the IRGC air force, Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the IDF announced.

According to the military, the top brass of the IRGC Aerospace Force was killed alongside him as they met in an underground command center to prepare to attack Israel. Besides Hajizadeh, the commanders of the IRGC’s drone and air defense units were also killed.

The IRGC confirmed the attack, saying Hajizadeh “along with a group of brave and dedicated fighters of this force, were martyred.”

The IRGC air force was responsible for Iran’s ballistic missile and drone attacks on Israel in April and October last........

© The Times of Israel