JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The IDF Spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, delivered a statement to the media on Saturday evening, saying that already on the first day of Operation “Roaring Lion,” numerous senior Iranian officials were eliminated as a result of the combined American-Israeli action.

“Hundreds of Israeli Air Force fighter jets, guided with precise intelligence from Military Intelligence, have struck hundreds of targets belonging to the Iranian terror regime across Iran since the beginning of Operation ‘Roaring Lion,’” Brig. Gen. Defrin said. “The operation began with a surprise attack after Military Intelligence identified two locations in Tehran where senior members of Iran’s security leadership had convened.”

The officials eliminated in the opening strike:

• Ali Shamkhani – Secretary of the “Defense Council,” one of the leading figures in Iran’s security decision-making process and a personal security adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
• Mohammad Pakpour – Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps since Operation “Like a Lion” and one of the leaders of the “plan to destroy Israel.” In his role, he commanded Iran’s central military force and was responsible for activating strategic firepower arrays against the State of Israel, as well as supporting and directing Iranian-backed terror organizations in various arenas. He also oversaw the violent suppression of Iranian protesters during internal demonstrations last month.
• Salah Asadi – Head of the Intelligence Division of the Emergency Command Headquarters and the senior intelligence officer of the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff. He took part in shaping Iran’s strategy toward Israel and the United States and was heavily involved in the “plan to destroy Israel.”
• Mohammad Shirazi – Head of the military bureau of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei since 1989. In this role, he was responsible for liaison between senior armed forces commanders and the Supreme Leader and was a central figure in the upper echelon of the Iranian regime.
• Aziz Nasirzadeh – Served as Defense Minister and held several key positions, including Commander of the Iranian Air Force and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. He was responsible for industries producing long-range missiles and weapons transferred to regime proxies, as well as for the SPND organization, which advanced projects in nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons fields.
• Hassan Jabal Amelian – Chairman of the SPND organization, responsible for developing advanced technologies and weaponry for the regime. Over the years, he promoted projects in nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons fields and was a prominent and respected figure within the organization and among its partners.
• Reza Motafari-Nia – Former chairman of the SPND organization. He promoted efforts to develop nuclear weapons.

The IDF spokesperson’s statement came after senior officials in Israel were reportedly informed that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, had been eliminated and that his body was located among the ruins of the building where he had been staying. Additionally, a photograph of his body was reportedly delivered to Israel and presented to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Earlier in the morning, it was reported that the Ayatollah was among the assassination targets, and footage of his bombed residence was circulated in The New York Times. However, Iranian officials denied the reports and claimed that Khamenei would deliver a speech later in the day, though that speech has not yet been released.