Iran armed forces chief Bagheri killed in Israeli attack: State TV

Iran's chief of staff of armed forces, General Mohammad Bagheri, was killed in overnight strikes by Israel under 'Operation Rising Lion', reported Iranian state media.

This is another high profile death in Israeli attack on several nuclear and military sites in Iran. Earlier, chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Major General Hossein Salami, was also confirmed dead.

After Salami's death, Iran's Revolutionary Guards vowed revenge against Israel.

The attacks "will not remain unanswered and (Israel) must await harsh and regrettable revenge", said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in a statement read on state TV, reported AFP.

Confirming deaths of Mohammad Bagheri and Major General Hossein Salami, Israel Defence Forces said that along with them, the Commander of Iran's Emergency Command has also been eliminated in Israeli strikes.

"We can now confirm that the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, commander of the IRGC and the commander of Iran's Emergency Command were all eliminated in the Israeli strikes across Iran by more than 200 fighter jets.

These are three ruthless mass murderers with international blood on their hands. The world is a better place without them," IDF said in a post on X.

What Netanyahu said

Moments after Israel's overnight strikes on Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video address said that Iran poses a nuclear threat to Israel.

"In recent years, Iran has produced enough highly enriched uranium for nine atom bombs. In recent months, Iran has taken steps that it has never taken before, steps to weaponise this enriched uranium. And if not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time. It could be a year, it could be within a few months…This is a clear and present danger to Israel's very survival," said Netanyahu.