US IRAN STRIKES: Iranian state media confirms deaths of military chief Major General Mohammad Pakpo and key Ayatollah Khamenei adviser Admiral Ali Shamkhani

Iranian state media have announced that two of the country’s most senior military figures were also killed in joint US and Israeli strikes.

According to the state-run news agency Islamic Republic News Agency, Admiral Ali Shamkhani — a top adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and secretary of Iran’s Defense Council — and Major General Mohammad Pakpour, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), were killed on Saturday, February 28 2026.

It follows confirmation of the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following air strikes on his palace.

Shamkhani had long been one of the most influential figures within Iran’s political and security establishment.

From 2013, he served for a decade as the country’s top national security official and previously held senior posts in both the IRGC and the Defense Ministry.

Israel said it had killed him during a 12-day conflict last June, but he later resurfaced and resumed a senior role with the Defense Council late last year.

A veteran power broker, Shamkhani also sought the presidency in 2001 and became a familiar name in diplomatic circles across Washington and Europe. He represented Tehran in China-mediated negotiations with Saudi Arabia that resulted in the restoration of diplomatic relations after years of tension. Despite being removed from his post in mid-2023, he remained a trusted confidant of Khamenei and played an advisory role as Iran returned to nuclear discussions with the administration of former US President Donald Trump.

Pakpour, meanwhile, rose to lead the IRGC following the death of his predecessor, Major General Hossein Salami, during last year’s conflict. A member of the Guards since its creation after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Pakpour previously commanded the IRGC’s Ground Forces before being elevated to its top position.

In remarks carried by the state-affiliated Fars News Agency, a senior commander said the IRGC’s structure ensures swift succession, declaring that capable leaders are immediately appointed after the “martyrdom” of any commander.

The IRGC serves as the elite branch of Iran’s armed forces, reporting directly to the supreme leader. In addition to its foreign military activities, it has taken an increasingly prominent role in suppressing domestic unrest.