Former Iranian President killed in US-Israeli airstrikes

...Senior Iranian officials eliminated 

Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has reportedly been killed during a wave of Israeli airstrikes inside Iran on Saturday, according to international media accounts.

Reports carried by the Israeli outlet Ma'ariv state that Ahmadinejad, who was said to be under house arrest at the time, died when a targeted strike hit his residence. The former leader, long associated with hardline policies and Tehran’s nuclear defiance, had remained a polarising presence in Iranian and international politics.

The Israeli military has named several senior figures said to have been eliminated in the coordinated strikes, describing the operation as a significant blow to Iran’s leadership structure.

Among those reported killed alongside Ahmadinejad was Aziz Nasirzadeh, Iran’s Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics. Mohammad Shirazi, identified as Chief of the Military Bureau of the Supreme Leader, was also listed among the dead.

Further casualties included Ali Shamkhani, the Supreme Leader’s Adviser for Security Affairs and Secretary of the Defence Council, and Mohammad Pakpour, Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Their deaths, if confirmed, would represent a substantial loss within Iran’s security and military establishment.

Reports also indicate that the strikes reached into the Supreme Leader’s inner circle. Unconfirmed accounts claim that members of Ali Khamenei’s family, including his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter, were killed during the bombardment.

The developments signal a dramatic escalation in regional hostilities and are likely to heighten tensions across the Middle East. Ahmadinejad had remained a controversial international figure in recent years and was sanctioned by the United States in 2023 over allegations linked to the wrongful detention of American citizens.

Other officials reported killed in the strikes include Hossein Jabal Amelian, Chairman of SPND, and Salah Asadi, Head of Intelligence for the Khatem Alanbieh Command.