Buenos Aires Times

Your Window to Argentina and Beyond.
Tuesday, Jul 01, 2025

Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive

Israel eliminated Iran’s top military leadership, destroyed enrichment facilities, and disabled air defenses in a surprise attack named “Like a Lion.” Iran declared a state of war, and Trump pledged to defend Israel. Here are all the main details.

Israel has launched an unprecedented offensive in Iran, dubbed Operation "Like a Lion". Below are the main known details of the strikes and what preceded them:


Who Was Eliminated in the Opening Blow

According to Israeli sources, dozens of top Iranian officials were killed. Iran officially confirmed the deaths of:

  • Hossein Salami, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)

  • Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces

  • Gholam Ali Rashid, his deputy

  • Senior nuclear scientists Fereydoon Abbasi and Abd al-Hamid Minouchehr

  • Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, President of the Islamic Azad University

Iran has already announced replacements for its military and IRGC leadership. This is the evolving list of those eliminated — and their successors.


Khamenei’s Response After the Attack

In a statement broadcast by Iranian media following the strike — which included assassinations of senior Iranian figures and hits on nuclear enrichment sites — Supreme Leader Khamenei declared:

“Our great nation of Iran, at dawn the Zionist regime extended its bloody and filthy hand to commit crimes in our beloved land, revealing its wicked nature more than ever by striking residential centers. The regime should expect severe punishment.”

Israel reported the elimination of dozens of senior Iranian figures. Khamenei admitted:

“Several commanders and scientists were killed in the strikes. Their successors and colleagues will immediately resume their positions. Through this crime, the Zionist regime has carved a bitter and painful fate for itself — and it will surely meet it.”


Iranian Revolutionary Guard Channel: Declaration of War

A media outlet affiliated with the IRGC stated:

“We mourn several leaders who were killed in cowardly assassinations carried out by the Zionist military. These assassinations constitute a declaration of war against Iran. Therefore, the Revolutionary Guards declare maximum readiness. Israel must await an unprecedented and severe response in history.”


Hossein Salami: IRGC Commander Killed

The first senior figure Iran confirmed as killed was Hossein Salami, Commander of the IRGC. In their obituary, they wrote:

“Salami was one of the most prominent commanders of the Islamic Revolution and stood at the forefront of defending its principles and the nation. His path will continue with double motivation. The Zionist regime will pay dearly for this crime, carried out with the knowledge of the White House and the U.S. terrorist regime.”

Just yesterday, Salami had threatened Israel:

“The enemy threatens us from time to time, but we are ready for any scenario. We warn the enemy not to make any mistake and to consider the consequences of its actions. We are prepared for any war at any level.”

He had been sanctioned by the U.S. since 2019 and once declared:

“The Revolutionary Guards are proud to be labeled a terrorist organization by Washington.”

According to Iranian reports, Salami’s replacement is Ahmad Vahidi, a former defense minister.


Who Is Ahmad Vahidi?

Vahidi, now named to lead the IRGC, is a notorious figure:

  • Sanctioned by numerous Western nations

  • Wanted by Interpol upon Argentina’s request for involvement in the 1994 bombing of the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people

  • Was head of the IRGC's secret operations unit during the bombing

  • Commanded the Lebanese battalion of the IRGC in the 1980s

  • Linked to the 1984 abduction of CIA agent William Buckley in Lebanon

  • Led the Quds Force for seven years and is credited with training dozens of foreign elements

  • Oversaw development of Iran’s missile systems


Mohammad Bagheri: Iran’s Chief of Staff

Iran confirmed the death of Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri. Initial reports claimed he was in the command center and unharmed, but later Iranian media confirmed he too was killed in the opening strike.

Yesterday, Bagheri had ordered the start of military exercises “focused on the enemy’s actions.” He had served as Chief of Staff for the past nine years. Amir Habibollah Sayyari, a former navy commander, has now been named acting head of the Iranian forces.


Gholam Ali Rashid: Deputy Chief of Staff

Bagheri’s deputy, Gholam Ali Rashid, 72, was also killed in the initial wave. Rashid was a senior commander dating back to the Iran-Iraq War and led Khatam al-Anbiya, Iran’s highest operational military headquarters.


Nuclear Scientists and Academic Leadership

Among those killed:

  • Fereydoon Abbasi, former head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, a nuclear physicist who survived a previous assassination attempt attributed to Israel 15 years ago. A motorcyclist had attached an explosive device to his car while moving, but Abbasi managed to escape.

  • Abd al-Hamid Minouchehr, nuclear engineer and dean of the Faculty of Nuclear Engineering at Shahid Beheshti University

  • Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, President of the Islamic Azad University


Ali Shamkhani: Senior Adviser Wounded or Killed

Iran’s Nour News Agency reported that Ali Shamkhani, Khamenei’s military adviser, was seriously wounded in a strike at his home. However, Iran International, affiliated with the opposition, claimed he was also killed. No official confirmation yet.

Shamkhani is a prominent former Iranian Navy commander, former defense minister, and past presidential candidate. He also served as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and head of the Iranian Army’s Strategic Research Center.


The Goal: Crippling Iran’s Military Leadership

The targeted assassination of Iran’s top command structure aims to destabilize the military hierarchy, prevent the rebuilding of Iran’s nuclear program, and deter any harsh retaliation against Israel.


Newsletter

Related Articles

Buenos Aires Times
0:00
0:00
Close
Brazilian Congress Rejects Lula's Proposed Tax Increase on Financial Transactions
Cristina Kirchner Requests House Arrest Citing Assassination Risk
Atlético Platense Clinch First Apertura Title in Historic Upset
Luis Amaranto Perea Receives Support After On-Field Clash with De Paul
Argentina's Food Colorants Market Sees Growth Amid Shift to Natural Ingredients
Argentina Heightens Security at Jewish Sites Amid Regional Tensions
Loma Negra Shares Dip Amid Market Volatility
Argentina's First Solar Panel Factory Nears Completion in San Juan
Real Madrid Sign Argentine Teen Sensation Franco Mastantuono
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Eurozone Inflation Falls Below ECB Target to 1.9%
Call for a New Chapter in Globalisation Emerges
Blackstone and Rivals Diverge on Private Equity Strategy
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
"They Could Have Saved Him": New Revelations in Maradona Death Trial Shake Argentina
Pope Francis: head of the Catholic church who pushed for social and economic justice
"Some complain that we put thousands in prison. In reality, we set millions free."
Alisha Lehmann's Modeling Campaign and Public Controversy Stir Debate Ahead of UEFA Women's Euro
Argentina's "Magician" or a PR Illusion? "Individuals Are Scavenging for Food and Sleeping on the Sidewalks"
IMF Contemplates $20 Billion Loan for Argentina
U.S. Creates Strategic Cryptocurrency Reserve, Sparking Market Growth
Argentine President Undergoes Legal Challenges and Calls for Impeachment Due to Cryptocurrency Endorsement
'BACK TO PLASTIC!': Trump to End Bans on Plastic Straws
Trump Imposes Emergency Tariffs on Colombia Following Immigration Dispute
The Trump Era 2: A Time of Dramatic and Profound Change
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Suggests Bitcoin Could Reach $700,000 with Increased Institutional Investment
Trump to Announce $500 Billion AI Infrastructure Investment
Argentina Achieves Record Trade Surplus in 2024 Under President Milei
Wikipedia Co-Founder Larry Sanger on How His Site Went Woke
Peru’s Congress Rocked by Scandal: Alleged Prostitution Ring Accused of Securing Political Votes
Venezuela's Diplomatic Standoff: A Siege at the Centre of Power Struggles
Cómo Cuidar Tus Plantas en Maceta Durante las Vacaciones
Un Llamado Global: Nobel de la Paz 2024 para los Sobrevivientes de Hiroshima y Nagasaki
Han Kang: Un Nobel de Literatura que resuena desde Corea hasta Buenos Aires
×