Israel has claimed that it killed Iran’s general Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the country’s revolutionary guard aerospace force.According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Hajizadeh was among several senior officials killed overnight as fighter jets struck an underground command centre inside Iran. The site, the military said, was being used to coordinate attacks on Israel.Besides Hejizedah, the heads of the IRGC’s drone and air defence divisions were also killed. The IDF accused the officers of planning and executing past assaults, including Iran’s missile and drone strikes on Israel in April and October 2024, and the 2019 drone attack on Saudi oil facilities.“Hajizadeh publicly pledged allegiance to the idea of destroying Israel on multiple occasions in recent years and played a central role in formulating the plan to destroy Israel,” the Israeli military said in a statement, quoted by the Times of Israel.Iran also confirmed the death of its aerospace guard.Internet restrictions have also been introduced in Iran after Israel’s wave of strikes.“Temporary restrictions have been imposed on the country’s internet,” Tehran’s communications ministry said, quoted by ISNA news agency.Further addinf that the restrictions “will be lifted once the normalcy returns.”The strike forms part of Israel’s offensive launched early Friday, targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and military sites. The operation marked what analysts are calling Iran’s most serious direct attack since the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.In retaliation, Iran also fired a wave of drones at Israel, prompting fears of a rapid escalation. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a stern warning, promising “severe punishment” in response.
