Israel kills Basij commander, highest Iranian military assassination since Khamenei

The Israeli military has claimed it killed a senior commander of Iran’s Basij militia in a targeted strike in the heart of Tehran, in what would be one of the highest-level assassinations in the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.

According to a statement posted on X by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday, the air force carried out the strike based on precise military intelligence, eliminating Gholam Reza Soleimani, the senior officer who had led the Basij unit for the past six years.

The military said the operation also killed the deputy commander and other senior Basij officials, describing it as a “significant blow” to Iran’s internal security apparatus.

Iran has not confirmed the claim. Independent verification of the strike remains limited, and Tehran’s authorities have yet to respond publicly.

The Basij militia, a key paramilitary force under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is central to Iran’s internal security operations and enforcement of regime authority.

The reported killing comes amid ongoing military escalation in the region, following earlier strikes by the United States and Israel against senior Iranian figures.

If confirmed, Soleimani’s death would be the highest-ranking casualty of Iran’s military leadership since the reported targeting of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several members of his family in February