Khamenei appoints Major General Amir Hatami as new Iran Army chief after Israeli strikes killed top generals

The new appointment comes after General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, who was the head of the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was killed by Israeli strikes in Tehran.

Hatami, 59, had previously served in the Iran-Iraq war including in Operation Mersad.

He has remained the head of Army international relations and deputy in the Armed Forces General Staff.

Under President Hassan Rouhani, Hatami served as the country's Defence Minister from 2017 to 2021.

In the official decree, Ayatollah Khamenei cited Hatami’s "dedication, competence, and experience" as the basis for the appointment, calling for a “transformative and revolutionary approach” under his leadership, reported IRNA.

“With the Army’s vast pool of capable and faithful personnel, and the experience gained during the Sacred Defense and beyond, it is expected that under your command, efforts to enhance combat readiness, strengthen spiritual and ideological foundations, improve personnel welfare, and boost cooperation with other branches of the Armed Forces will accelerate,” the decree stated.

Khamenei has also appointed General Abdolrahim Mousavi as the new Chief of the Armed Forces, Mohammad Pakpour has been named as the new commander of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

The top generals who were killed in the Israeli strikes included Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of the armed forces.

Salami, who led the IRGC, was very close to supreme leader Ali Khamenei and often accompanied him at public events.

The third leader to have been killed was Ali Shamkhani, one of Iran’s leading strategists, who served as the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and a key adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader.

Iran counter strikes Israel firing barrage of ballistic missiles

Launching a counterstrike to avenge an attack on nuclear sites and its military leaders, Iran on Friday night fired hundreds of ballistic missiles towards Israel as explosions were heard in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

"All of Israel is under fire as Iran fires projectiles. The Iranian attack is ongoing. Dozens of additional missiles were launched toward Israel," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) posted on X.

Iran's state-run news agency IRNA said "Israel began feeling Iran’s wrath on Friday evening as the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces started a wave of strikes on Israel."

"The Iranian counterstrikes began without notice, and images and footage began to appear of missile after missile penetrating Israel’s missile defenses and exploding upon impact on their targets. Huge fireballs lighted up the night sky in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as they did," IRNA reported.

IDF meanwhile said Israeli civilians are currently being targeted by the Iranian regime. "The world cannot stay silent," it said.

IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said less than 100 ballistic missiles were fired from Iran at Israel in the two barrages. He says most of the missiles were intercepted by air defenses or fell short before reaching the country, according to Times of Israel.

“There are a limited number of impacts on buildings, some were caused by interception fragments,” he said.

According to Times of Israel quoting medical officials, some 35 people were wounded in Iran’s ballistic missile attack.

One woman is listed in critical condition, while four other people are moderately hurt. Nine are listed in light-to-moderate condition, while the rest are lightly hurt or suffering acute anxiety, it reported. The victims were taken to Beilinson, Sourasky, and Sheba hospitals in central Israel, the report said.

Fresh Israeli Attacks

Earlier, Israel launched fresh missile attacks on Iran on Friday night, less than 24 hours after it hit Tehran's nuclear and military establishments, according to a BBC report.

As a result of these strikes, Iran has also activated its air defence system, Iranian state media reported.

According to Press TV, missiles were intercepted in the southern part of Tehran. The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) also reported fresh strikes in west Tehran.

A city near Tehran, called Kara, had also been targeted, according to IRIB.

In a post on X, the Israeli Air Force said it is continuing to "attack missile launchers and infrastructure" in Iran.

Preemptive strikes, says Israel

Earlier in the day, Israel on Friday said it conducted "preemptive" strikes on Iran, targeting its nuclear sites, further escalating tension in the region.

"Dozens of IAF jets completed the first stage that included strikes on dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran," IDF said.

The IDF said Iran is inching closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon.

"Weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the Iranian regime are an existential threat to the State of Israel and to the wider world," IDF said.

The IDF said: "The State of Israel has no choice but to fulfill the obligation to act in defense of its citizens and will continue to do so everywhere it is required to do so, as we have done in the past."

Speaking of the strikes, Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X: "This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat."