Israel announced on Tuesday that a strike on Monday killed Gholamreza Soleimani, whom it identified as the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ volunteer Basij force. Iran had not immediately confirmed the reported death.
The Israeli military described the Basij as part of the “armed apparatus of the Iranian terror regime” and said Soleimani oversaw major repression of internal protests, particularly as demonstrations grew in size. In its statement, Israel accused the Basij under his command of using severe violence, conducting widespread arrests and employing force against civilian demonstrators.
Reuters published images showing emergency personnel working at the site of a strike on a residential building in Tehran on Monday. The situation remained unclear pending independent verification and any response from Iranian authorities.
