The Israeli military said it killed 40 senior Iranian military commanders in its opening wave of strikes on Iran on Saturday, including the country’s chief of staff, as part of a rapid and coordinated assault that it said unfolded in less than a minute.

In a statement, the Israeli army said the commanders were among dozens of top Iranian officials targeted in the initial attack. Those killed also included Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The military said it can now confirm that Iran’s chief of staff, Abdolrahim Mousavi, was killed in the strikes. Mousavi had taken over the role after his predecessor, Mohammad Bagheri, was killed during Israel’s opening attacks in the June 2025 war.

According to the Israeli military, Mousavi oversaw Iran’s security apparatus and directed the launch of hundreds of ballistic missiles toward Israeli territory during the conflict. Those missile barrages killed Israeli civilians, the statement said.

“The majority of the highest-ranking senior military officials of the Iranian security leadership have been eliminated,” the military said.