
The wave of attacks by Israel has inflicted heavy losses on Iran's ruling elite, eliminating dozens of senior political, military and intelligence officials since the start of the war.
Among the most important figures killed is former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who lost his life on February 28, the first day of airstrikes launched by the US and Israel.
On the same day, several top security and military leaders were also killed, including security adviser Ali Shamkhani, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Pakpour, and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh.
The strikes continued in the following days. On March 3, Israel announced the killing of Majid ibn al-Reza, just a day after he was appointed the new defense minister, as well as Reza Khazaei, part of the elite Quds unit in Beirut.
Attacks in the Lebanese capital continued on March 8 and 12, killing several more Revolutionary Guard officials and Hezbollah-linked structures.
The most recent strike came on March 17, when the head of national security, Ali Larijani, was assassinated in Tehran. In another operation, the Basij commander, Gholamreza Soleimani, was also eliminated, along with several of his associates.
These developments constitute an unprecedented blow to Iran's leadership structure, weakening the chain of command and increasing insecurity in the country.
However, analysts warn that the elimination of key figures could lead to a further escalation of the conflict and make it more difficult to reach a diplomatic solution.