Israel says killed top Iran commander and aide to supreme leader

The Israeli military said Tuesday it killed Iran's top military commander, Ali Shadmani, in an overnight strike, calling him the closest figure to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In a statement, the military said following "a sudden opportunity overnight, the (Israeli air force) struck a staffed command centre in the heart of Tehran and eliminated Ali Shadmani, the war-time Chief of Staff, the most senior military commander, and the closest figure to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei".

The Israeli military said Shadmani had commanded both the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian armed forces.

In post on X on Friday Khamenei declared that Shadmani would be replacing Gholamali Rashid, who had been killed by Israel, as commander of Iran's unified command.

"In light of Major General Ali Shadmani's meritorious services and valuable experience, I confer the rank of Major General and appoint him Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya (pbuh) Central HQ."

On Tuesday Israel's military said it launched "extensive" strikes targeting missile and drone sites in western Iran, with explosions and smoke were reported in Iran's western city of Tabriz, home to a major air base.

Israel says it has also killed many top military commanders and nuclear scientists and destroyed one third of Iran's surface-to-surface missile launchers.

Iran has said its targets in Israel included "sensitive and important" security sites as well as "the residences of military commanders and scientists".

AFP journalists reported loud booms over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, where police said shrapnel fell and caused damage but no casualties. The fire brigade said it was rushing to put out a blaze in the commercial hub.

Israeli attacks have killed at least 224 people and wounded more than 1,200 in Iran, the health ministry said on Sunday. It has yet to issue an update.

At least 24 people have been killed and 592 wounded in Iran's attacks on Israel, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu also said that Israel was "changing the face of the Middle East" with its military campaign, which could lead to "radical changes" in Iran.

Israel was "pursuing three main objectives: the elimination of the nuclear programme, the elimination of ballistic missile production capability, and the elimination of the axis of terrorism", he said, referring to Iranian-backed militant groups in the Middle East.

"We will do what is necessary to achieve these goals, and we are well coordinated with the United States," he added.

He has also not ruled out killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

China called on its citizens to leave Israel "as soon as possible", while India urged its citizens to leave the Iranian capital.

Israel earlier issued an evacuation order for Tehran's northern District 3, home to state broadcaster IRIB - which was later hit in an Israeli strike.

The broadcaster said on Tuesday that three people were killed in the attack.

Residential areas in both countries have suffered deadly strikes.

Israel has carried out repeated strikes on Iran's key nuclear sites, despite warnings from the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, that such military action is in breach of international law.

The IAEA said Tuesday that it had detected the first signs of "direct impacts" to the larger, underground part of Iran's uranium enrichment facility at Natanz.

"Based on continued analysis of high resolution satellite imagery collected after Friday's attacks, the IAEA has identified additional elements that indicate direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls at Natanz," it said.