The Israel Defense Forces announced the destruction of the commander of the Aerospace Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Amir-Ali Hajizadeh. According to the military, he was eliminated last night as a result of a strike on an underground command post in Iran, where a meeting of the IRGC Air Force leadership was taking place.
Reuters citing two regional sources reports that during the attack, in addition to Hajizadeh, at least 20 high-ranking Iranian commanders were killed. According to the IDF, the commander of the drone unit Taher-Fur and the chief of the IRGC Air Force air defense staff Daud Sheikhian were killed.
The Israeli army claims that the meeting was held to prepare a new attack on Israeli territory.
Hajizadeh repeatedly publicly declared his commitment to the idea of destroying Israel, and according to the IDF, participated in the development of a corresponding plan. He was also considered involved in the attack on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia in 2019, after which he came under US sanctions. In 2022, the EU also included him in sanction lists, including for participation in the supply of Iranian drones "Shahed" to Russia.
The Iranian agency Nournews reports that as a result of Israeli attacks on residential areas of Tehran, 78 people were killed and 329 were injured.
According to Iranian media, temporary restrictions on internet access were introduced in Iran due to Israeli attacks. A second wave of drones was launched towards Israel. As reported earlier, all one hundred drones from the first wave, launched in the morning, were shot down.
Meanwhile, Axios claims that Israel had been preparing a strike on Iran for eight months. The idea of conducting the operation appeared in October 2024, after Iran launched a massive missile strike on Israel. At the same time, two Israeli officials told the publication that Trump and his entourage only publicly opposed the Israeli strike, but in reality gave the "green light" for the operation.
The Wall Street Journal citing a senior Israeli official reported that the Israeli operation against the Iranian nuclear program, military leadership, and missile arsenal is "still far from complete"—Jerusalem has planned it for 14 days.
Stock markets went down after the night attack, investors began actively buying traditional safe assets—gold and the Swiss franc. Long-term Israeli government bonds are falling along with other bonds in the region, including Egypt and Jordan, writes Reuters.
Oil prices jumped more than 9%, reaching their highest level in nearly five months and showing the biggest daily fluctuations since 2022. Dubai's main stock index closed down 1.9%, and Abu Dhabi's main index ended the day down 1.3%, recovering from more significant daily losses.
As Reuters writes, analysts do not rule out price increases to $120–130 if the conflict escalates. They fear that the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Iran could affect the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world's oil passes.
Photo: The New York Times.