Ali Shamkhani, who has advised Khameini since 2023, served as Iran’s national security chief for over ten years. By Vered Weiss, World Israel NewsIsrael’s ongoing Operation Rising Lion has eliminated 30 senior Iranian officers as well as the top adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s State media has reported on Saturday.According to Iranian state media, Israeli strikes on Iran’s northeastern East Azerbaijan province have killed at least 30 military personnel, one Red Crescent staff member, and two civilians. An additional 55 individuals were reported injured.East Azerbaijan Governor Behram Sarmast stated on state television that Israel targeted 19 sites across the province, with most of the strikes concentrated in the city of Tabriz.Also on Saturday, Iranian media announced the death of Khameini’s top adviser, Ali Shamkhani, who died from a wound sustained after Israel’s initial series of airstrikes on Friday.The death of Shamkhani is considered one of the most high-profile deaths since Israel launched Operation Rising Lion on Friday.Shamkhani, who has advised Khameini since 2023, served as Iran’s national security chief for over ten years.On Friday, the IDF eliminated three Iranian top military commanders: Revolutionary Guards chief Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami, Armed Forces chief Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, and the emergency command head Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid.The strikes also killed Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, was the head of Iran’s missile and drone operations.Hajizadeh and his top deputies were reportedly struck during an underground meeting to decide how to respond to Israel’s first barrage.The IDF announced that it had also eliminated Gholam-Reza Marhabi, the head of the Iranian Armed Forces’ intelligence division.Israeli airstrikes crippled Iran’s anti-aircraft system allowing the Israel Air Force to inflict substantial damage to Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility, including power substations and above-ground structures.Israeli strikes targeted and reportedly dismantled the Tabriz airbase, destroyed dozens of Iranian drones and missile launchers, and struck multiple military sites, including the Hamadan and Parchin airbases.In Friday’s operation, Israel eliminated nine nuclear scientists who had advanced the country’s development of technology to create a nuclear bomb.The nine nuclear scientists were: Fereydoon Abbasi, a specialist in atomic engineering; Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, an expert in physics; Akbar Motalebi Zadeh, who specialized in chemical engineering; Saeed Barji, a materials engineering expert; Amir Hassan Fakhahi, also an expert in physics; Abd al-Hamid Minoushehr, known for his work in reactor physics; Mansour Asgari, another physics expert; Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari Daryani, who focused on nuclear engineering; and Ali Bakhouei Katirimi, an expert in mechanical engineering.The post IDF eliminates Khameini’s top adviser, 30 military officers appeared first on World Israel News.