The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Tuesday that it had killed Major General Ali Shadmani, Iran’s recently appointed senior military commander, in a nighttime airstrike in Tehran, a sharp turn in the Israel-Iran war.

Shadmani, commander of the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was promoted just days ago on June 13 by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after his predecessor, Lieutenant General Gholamali Rashid, was assassinated in previous Israeli attacks. Khamenei named Shadmani with “meritorious services & valuable experience” in an X post, promoting him to Major General and as commander of the emergency command center.

The IDF had called Shadmani Iran’s “war chief of staff” and the most senior military official closest to Khamenei, claiming that he oversaw both the IRGC and Iranian Armed Forces. The military asserted that with Shadmani in charge, the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters oversaw combat efforts and sanctioned Iran’s offensive plans against Israel. “In all his positions, he had a direct impact on Iran’s offensive plans against the State of Israel,” the IDF had said.

The strike followed Israel’s “Operation Rising Lion,” launched on June 13, which targeted over 100 Iranian nuclear and military sites, killing several top commanders and scientists. The assassination of Shadmani, described by Israeli officials as a “major disruption to Iran’s command structure,” comes amid heightened tensions and retaliatory missile strikes between the two nations.

The world leaders attending the G7 Summit 2025 signed a joint statement on Tuesday, supporting Israel’s “right to defend itself” in the war. “We, G7 leaders, reaffirm our dedication to peace and stability in the Middle East,” the statement, released by Canada, stated.

Iran officially confirmed no death for Shadmani, though state media indicated intensified Israeli strikes in Tehran. The war, which has had Iran retaliate with “Operation True Promise III,” continues to instill fear of an expanded regional war.