On 13 June, Israel eliminated Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Aerospace Forces of the Iranian Armed Forces. He was directly involved in supplying Shahed drones to Russia, says Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation.
Under his leadership, the Iranian military established mass production and export of the drones, which Russia has been actively using to strike Ukrainian infrastructure and cities.
Hajizadeh was also involved in the transfer of Iranian short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, as well as in joint missile development programs. Due to these activities, the UK, the US, and the EU have imposed personal sanctions against him.
The Israeli Defense Forces officially confirmed the elimination of the Iranian Aerospace Forces commander, a central figure in Iran responsible for direct aerial attacks on Israel.
Amir Ali Hajizadeh was a military official of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a branch of Iran’s executive power operating parallel to the army. The IRGC oversees ballistic missile development and domestic repression, 24 Channel reports.
As part of a coordinated initial strike, Israeli Air Force jets targeted the command center where IRGC Aerospace Forces commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh was located, along with other senior officials. Among those killed were IRGC drone commander Taher Pour and IRGC Air Force commander Davoud Sheikhian.
In total, at least 20 high-ranking Iranian commanders were killed during Israel’s strike.