Israel claims it assassinated two top IRGC commanders, including one linked to Hamas

Israel claimed it has killed two senior commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during recent airstrikes targeting Iranian cities.

According to Israel’s Defence Minister, one of the strikes hit an apartment building in the city of Qom, killing the commander of the Palestinian Corps within the IRGC’s Quds Force, Saeed Izadi.

He was accused by Israeli officials of supporting Hamas during its October 7 assault and was his alleged killing was hailed by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz as a “true achievement” for Israeli intelligence and the air force.

Although Iranian authorities have not officially confirmed the casualties, reports suggest that an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in Qom also led to the death of a 16-year-old.

Israel further claimed to have assassinated Amin Pour Jodkhi, the newly appointed commander of the IRGC’s second UAV brigade.

Jodkhi had taken charge following the earlier killing of the previous unit commander at the onset of Israel’s campaign against Iran.

Iran’s drone program, particularly its UAV units, has been a central component of its retaliatory strikes against Israeli military targets. While many of the drones can be detected and intercepted, their deployment poses a challenge by exhausting air defence resources.