Marrakech – The Israeli military announced on Friday that its forces killed Esmail Ahmadi, head of the intelligence division of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force, in an air strike on Tehran.
The army said Ahmadi was killed in the same strike that targeted the Basij command center in central Tehran on Monday, which also killed Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani and several other senior figures.
“Ahmadi played a central role in advancing and executing terror attacks carried out by Basij Forces,” the Israeli army said in a statement posted on X. It added that he oversaw the enforcement of public order and led major crackdowns during recent internal protests in Iran.
Ahmadi’s killing follows a string of high-profile assassinations this week. On the night of Monday-Tuesday, Israeli air strikes killed Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, widely considered the most powerful surviving official after the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council confirmed his death, along with that of his son Morteza and the head of his office, Alireza Bayat. Larijani was among a very small group of people who could manage both the war and the politics around it, and analysts warned his removal could hinder efforts to bring the conflict to a negotiated end.
Tehran had previously confirmed Soleimani’s death but had not commented on Ahmadi’s killing at the time of reporting.
In a separate announcement, Israel also claimed it killed Mehdi Rostami Shamastan, a senior official in Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, in a strike carried out two days earlier. The military described him as a key figure in promoting attacks against Israeli and Jewish civilians worldwide.
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Earlier on Friday, Iranian state media confirmed the killing of IRGC spokesperson Brigadier General Ali Mohammad Naini in a US-Israeli missile attack. Hours before his death, Naini had appeared on national television, asserting that Iran still has the capacity to produce missiles even during wartime.
The assassinations came as Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei issued a written Nowruz message, his most detailed statement since assuming the role after his father’s killing on February 28.
Khamenei said US and Israeli attacks were based on “the delusion” that eliminating Iran’s top leaders would topple the government. He denied Iranian involvement in attacks on Turkey and Oman, calling them “false flag” incidents.
Khamenei has not appeared publicly since taking power. US and Israeli officials believe he may have been injured.
On the ground, the conflict showed no signs of abating on its 21st day. Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, with at least ten separate volleys targeting cities across the country. Missile fragments left a crater in East Jerusalem’s Old City. Israel’s Haifa oil refinery sustained damage to key electrical infrastructure.
Iran also continued strikes on Gulf states hosting US military assets. Drone attacks targeted Kuwait’s Mina al-Ahmadi refinery. Saudi Arabia intercepted more than two dozen drones over its eastern region. Bahrain reported shrapnel damage from Iranian missiles. The UAE activated air defense systems over Dubai.
The Iranian Red Crescent reported at least 204 children among more than 1,444 people killed in Iran since the war began. In Lebanon, Israeli attacks have killed over 1,000 people since March 2, displacing more than one million.
Brent crude stood at $108 a barrel, up 50% since the conflict started. The IEA called the disruption “the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market.”
Trump lashed out at NATO allies, calling them “cowards” for refusing to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. Switzerland halted weapons exports to the United States, citing neutrality. The US announced the deployment of additional warships and marines to the region.
Iran’s foreign minister warned that Tehran would show “zero restraint” if its infrastructure is targeted again.
