Israel says it assassinated Iran’s most senior military commander
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
The Israeli attacks have spurred thousands of Iranians to flee the capital, Tehran, a city of 9.5 million people.
PHOTO: ARASH KHAMOOSHI/NYTIMES
Follow topic:
JERUSALEM – Israel said it had killed a newly installed senior Iranian military official on June 17, just days after his predecessor was slain, further destabilising Iran’s military chain of command as the war entered its fifth day
Since Israel began bombing Iran on June 13
On the morning of June 17, the Israeli military said it had killed Major-General Ali Shadmani, describing him as the most senior military commander in Iran. He was appointed to his post four days ago, replacing a general who was killed by Israel on the first day of hostilities. Iran did not immediately comment on Israel’s claim about Maj-Gen Shadmani. If confirmed, his death would deal yet another blow to Iran’s beleaguered military leadership.
A senior Israeli defence official said the killing of Mr Shadmani reflected Israel’s decades-long effort to infiltrate Iran’s intelligence services, as well as the careless mistakes senior Iranian officials have been making as they try to flee Israeli attacks.
Later on June 17, the Israeli military launched more air strikes, with dozens of aircraft bombing the Isfahan area of central Iran, targeting missile launchers, according to Brigadier-General Effie Defrin, the Israeli military’s chief spokesman. He said in a televised briefing that Iran still had “significant capabilities that could cause serious damage.”
US President Donald Trump declared on June 17 that “we now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran” and called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” amid growing signs that the US was considering joining Israel’s bombing campaign.
Military analysts have said that only the US has the 13,600kg bombs and B-2 stealth bombers capable of destroying Iran’s most heavily fortified nuclear enrichment site, known as Fordo, which is built into the side of a mountain.
Mr Trump, posting on social media, also made a direct threat to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying that “we know exactly where” he is and calling him “an easy target”. But he said, “We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least for now”.
He added: “Our patience is growing thin.”
Earlier on June 17, Mr Trump said he was looking for something “better than a ceasefire” between Israel and Iran – “a real end, not a ceasefire”. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, he insisted that Iran “give up” and abandon any effort to develop nuclear weapons. “I’m not too much in the mood to negotiate,” he said.
Concerned that the US might be moving to join Israel’s campaign, French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the idea of using force to topple the Iranian government.
“Does anyone think that what was done in Iraq in 2003 was a good idea?” he said to reporters in Canada, where he was attending a Group of Seven summit. “Does anyone think that what was done in Libya the previous decade was a good idea? No.”
France agrees that Iran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear bomb and that Israel has the right to defend itself, Mr Macron said. But he criticised Israeli strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure and civilian targets as destabilising for the region.
A spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of Qatar said on June 17 that Israel’s attack on Iran was “an uncalculated escalation with serious consequences for regional security, which is already strained and cannot handle further crises”.
The Israeli attacks have spurred thousands of Iranians to flee the capital, Tehran, a city of 9.5 million people. The Israeli military had issued an evacuation order for a large part of north-eastern Tehran, saying it planned to target “military infrastructure” in the area.
Ms Leili, a teacher who lives in Mazandaran province, north of Tehran, who asked that her last name not be used, said many Iranians had been seeking refuge in the area, leading to shortages at grocery stores, where meat, chicken and cooking oil are becoming hard to find.
She said that while she had not stockpiled supplies, “many others have begun hoarding, likely driven by memories of shortages during the Iran-Iraq war and fears of future scarcity”.
Iran also fired missiles at Israel on June 17, although it has significantly scaled back its attacks. In the first days of the war, Iran fired up to 100 missiles in a single night, in salvos of dozens. But overnight, fewer than 30 projectiles breached Israeli airspace, the Israeli military said. A morning salvo on June 17 included just a few missiles – far fewer than in previous waves, according to Lieutenant-Colonel Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesman.
Later on June 17, explosions were visible in the sky over Tel Aviv, apparently from Israel’s air defences intercepting more Iranian missiles. A short while later, Israeli officials told residents they were safe to leave bomb shelters. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The slowdown in missile fire may indicate that Israeli strikes have significantly crippled Iran’s ability to launch missiles. It could also mean that Iranian leaders are conserving resources in preparation for a long conflict.
Israeli strikes have killed at least 224 people and wounded more than 1,800 others in Iran, according to the Iranian Health Ministry. In Israel, at least 24 people have been killed and about 600 others wounded, according to the government.
Iran has severely restricted access to the internet as part of an effort to block what it says are Israelis who have been carrying out covert operations, according to two Iranian officials, one with the Telecommunications Ministry. The Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, said that the internet would be shut down on June 17 night and would be replaced with an Iranian-controlled intranet. NYTIMES
