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Israeli strikes kill Iran’s Revolutionary Guard leader, Gen. Hossein Salami

Chief of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Gen. Hossein Salami speaks in a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the death of late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash in the country's northwest along with the foreign minister and several other officials, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Chief of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Gen. Hossein Salami speaks in a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the death of late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash in the country's northwest along with the foreign minister and several other officials, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) Chief of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Gen. Hossein Salami speaks in a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the death of late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash in the country's northwest along with the foreign minister and several other officials, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

By SAM MEDNICK / Associated Press 3 min read

Iranian state television confirmed the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was killed in Israel’s strikes Friday morning.

Gen. Hossein Salami was the chief of one of the country’s most powerful centers, and his death was a tough blow to Iran’s embattled leadership, which has had a series of setbacks in the past 20 months of Middle Eastern war and unrest.

Salami rose to power six years ago and had a history of threatening the U.S. and Israel.

Here’s a closer look.

Powerful arsenal of missiles