On Monday, April 6 Israel announced that it had successfully killed Majid Khademi, head of intelligence for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Asghar Bagheri, a special operations commander of the Quds Force, in a targeted strike.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) posted a statement on the social platform X, saying that Khademi had been “eliminated.” The statement accused him of long-term involvement in orchestrating overseas attacks and of monitoring civilians during domestic Iranian protests, labeling him a key figure in Iran’s security apparatus.
A senior Israeli official told Fox News that Khademi held an extremely high position within the IRGC, effectively making him the “number two” figure. Over the past year, he had repeatedly evaded multiple Israeli and U.S. operations targeting Iranian senior officials, but was ultimately tracked and killed.
The official added that the intelligence system overseen by Khademi repeatedly failed to detect or prevent critical military actions by Israel and the U.S., including a series of strategically significant raids, revealing clear vulnerabilities within Iran’s security system.
Khademi was also reportedly deeply involved in infiltration operations targeting U.S. systems, including attempts to breach the Pentagon, and maintained broad coordination with Russia.
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Israel views Khademi’s elimination as a major blow to Iran’s intelligence system, especially amid ongoing external pressures on Tehran.
In the same operation, Quds Force commander Bagheri was also killed. The Israeli official noted that Bagheri had directly participated in recruiting personnel across the Middle East and planning attacks on U.S. targets in Iraq and Syria, including operations that caused U.S. military casualties.
The IDF later confirmed that Bagheri had in recent years participated in and promoted attacks on Israeli and global targets, and had personally commanded operations against Israeli troops along the Syria-Israel border.
Public records indicate that Khademi had long served within Iran’s security system, mainly in intelligence and counterintelligence roles. Before becoming head of IRGC intelligence, he led the Intelligence Protection Organization, overseeing internal monitoring and counterintelligence, and held senior positions within Iran’s Ministry of Defense.
Reports note that the IRGC intelligence department is one of Iran’s most powerful security institutions, playing a central role in domestic surveillance and countering external influence, often operating in parallel with Iran’s civilian intelligence agencies.
This past weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump set a deadline for Tehran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning that failure to comply would result in devastating strikes on its power plants and bridges.
Trump told reporters during an Easter event at the White House on Monday that Tuesday was the final deadline for Iran to reach an agreement, stating that it was final and would not be extended.
