Israel’s defense forces are repeating in Iran the serial decapitation strikes by which they substantially destroyed Hezbollah as a fighting force last year.

The Times of Israel reports that, last night, an IDF strike killed Major General Ali Shadmani, just installed four days ago as the head of Iran’s military emergency command (the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters). Shadami had replaced Major General Gholam Ali Rashid, whom the IDF killed in its first salvos against Iran on Friday.

According to the IDF, Shadmani was acting as Iran’s most senior military commander, the “war chief of staff.” The Times of Israel says he led Iran’s armed forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and “was considered the closest remaining military figure to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.”

It has been widely reported that a potential Israeli assassination strike against Ayatollah Khamenei himself was called off at the behest of President Trump.