Who was Hossein Salami, Iran’s powerful IRGC Commander killed in Israeli attack?

Dubai: Major General Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was killed on Friday, the June 13, in a powerful Israeli airstrike that targeted Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and senior military leadership.

The unprecedented strike on Tehran marked one of the most direct escalations in the long-running conflict between Iran and Israel, pushing the region to the brink of war.

Salami’s death was a significant blow to Iran’s military establishment and symbolised the vulnerability of even its most protected power centres.

With Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowing “severe punishment,” the region now braces for retaliation and further escalation.

Born in 1960 in Golpayegan, in Iran’s Isfahan Province, Salami joined the IRGC in 1980, at the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War.

Despite still being in college, he quickly rose through the ranks due to his frontline leadership and strategic prowess.

He went on to command elite divisions such as the Karbala and 14th Imam Hussein Divisions, and later oversaw the Nouh Naval Headquarters.

After the war, Salami completed a master’s degree in defence management from the Iranian Army’s staff college. He then served as head of operations at the IRGC Joint Staff from 1997 to 2005, a period that shaped much of Iran’s military doctrine and strategic planning.

Salami’s influence grew steadily. In 2019, after a decade as deputy commander, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC by Supreme Leader Khamenei, succeeding Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari. His elevation cemented his role as one of the most powerful men in Iran, second only to the Supreme Leader in military influence.

His leadership in Iran’s ballistic missile programme led to international sanctions:

• UN sanctions in 2006

• US sanctions in 2007

• EU sanctions in 2021 for human rights violations during the crackdown on the 2019 protests.

He also faced legal action in France in 2023, where prosecutors filed a criminal complaint over alleged death threats tied to the suppression of the Mahsa Amini protests.

Salami wasn’t just a military figure; he was a hardline ideologue, regularly calling for the destruction of Israel and denouncing the United States. He once stated that ballistic missiles were “a way to end the story of American aircraft carriers.”

Under his watch, the IRGC expanded its reach in the region through proxy militias, cyber operations, and advanced missile development. In 2024, Salami oversaw Iran’s first-ever direct missile and drone strikes on Israel, which marked a new chapter in Middle East military confrontations.

As head of the IRGC, Salami wielded authority over an organization with its own air force, navy, intelligence units, and up to 200,000 troops. The IRGC also controls key sectors of Iran’s economy — construction, telecom, oil, and automotive — making it a “state within a state.”

In 2022, following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran’s morality police, mass protests erupted across the country. Salami responded with a stern warning:

“Today is the last day of the riots. Do not come to the streets again.” His message exemplified the regime’s hardline posture, using the IRGC as a tool to crush dissent and enforce ideological loyalty.

Salami was commander when the IRGC mistakenly shot down Ukrainian Flight PS752 in 2020, killing 176 people. The incident caused global outrage. Salami publicly apologized and asked for forgiveness, calling it a tragic “human error.”

In the months leading up to his death, Iranian media showed Salami inspecting underground missile sites, walking over US and Israeli flags, and declaring readiness for “new special missile” deployments.

On June 13, he was killed when Israel launched “Operation Rising Lion”, a multi-target strike on Tehran and key Iranian nuclear and military sites. Alongside Salami, other high-ranking IRGC officials were also confirmed dead.

The IRGC issued a statement calling him: “One of the most distinguished commanders of the Islamic Revolution — present on all fronts of scientific, cultural, security, and military jihad.”

Security analysts compare his removal to the assassination of a US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, saying it will delay Iran’s ability to retaliate effectively.

While hailed by hardliners as a revolutionary hero, Salami leaves behind a complex and polarizing legacy — one marked by ideological fervor, military aggression, and deep influence in shaping Iran’s path at home and abroad.