The Israeli military announced on social media platform X at approximately 5 a.m. UTC+8 on Sunday that it has identified seven high-ranking Iranian military and political figures it claims have been killed. According to Ming Pao, the list includes Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, head of the Supreme Leader's Military Office Mohammad Shirazi, Secretary of the Defense Council Ali Shamkhani, Commander of the Revolutionary Guards Mohammad Pakpour, former head of the Defense Innovation and Research Organization (SPND) Reza Mozaffari-Nia, and Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Chief Saleh Asadi.
Ali Shamkhani, noted as a close confidant of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was considered a potential candidate to assume power in the event of Khamenei's assassination. The announcement has not been independently verified, and the circumstances surrounding the alleged deaths remain unclear.