Iran says IRGC intelligence chief killed in US-Israeli attack

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed Monday that the head of its intelligence arm was killed in a joint US-Israeli military strike. State broadcaster IRIB, citing an IRGC statement, reported that Major General Seyed Majid Khademi was “martyred” in the attack. Khademi had been appointed as chief of the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization in June 2025, replacing his predecessor General Mohammad Kazemi, who was killed in an Israeli strike just months earlier.

High-value target in escalating war

The killing of Khademi marks another significant blow to Iran’s military intelligence leadership amid the ongoing US-Israeli air offensive. Since the joint campaign began on February 28, more than 1,340 people have been killed in Iran, including former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior IRGC commanders. Khademi’s assassination is likely to further escalate tensions, as Tehran has consistently retaliated against high-profile killings with drone and missile strikes across the region.

Regional retaliation and Türkiye’s concerns

Iran has responded to the broader US-Israeli offensive with waves of drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting American military assets, causing casualties and infrastructure damage while disrupting global markets and aviation. For Türkiye, which shares a border with Iran and has deep economic and security ties to the region, the killing of yet another top Iranian intelligence official raises the risk of further retaliatory attacks that could spill over into neighboring countries. Ankara continues to call for an immediate ceasefire and a return to diplomacy, warning that targeted assassinations only deepen the cycle of violence.