PM Netanyahu: ‘We eliminated the tyrant Khamenei and dozens of senior Iranian figures,’ warns strikes will intensify further
Israeli Air Force killed Iran’s Chief of Staff & 40 officers, destroyed hundreds of missiles
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Israeli public from the roof of the IDF headquarters on Sunday, confirming that Israel had killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, the day before, and offering his condolences to the families of victims of Iranian missile attacks.
“We eliminated the tyrant Khamenei and dozens of senior figures in the regime of oppression,” Netanyahu said from the roof of the “Kirya” HQ in central Tel Aviv. “Our forces are now striking in the heart of Tehran with increasing intensity, which will intensify even further in the coming days.”
Netanyahu said he had just concluded a high-level security assessment, issuing new instructions for the continuation of the war to Defense Minister Israel Katz, Mossad Director David Barnea and IDF Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir.
*Statement by Prime Minister Netanyahu*
— Government Press Office 🇮🇱 (@GPOIsrael) March 1, 2026
*Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the roof of the Kirya in Tel Aviv, today (Sunday, 1 March 2026) [translated from Hebrew]:*
*"We have eliminated the tyrant Khamenei and dozens of senior figures of the oppressive regime. Our forces are… pic.twitter.com/fp4u9iFKq0
“At the same time, these are painful days. Yesterday here in Tel Aviv, and now in Beit Shemesh, we lost precious people. My heart goes out to the families, and on behalf of all of you, the citizens of Israel, I send wishes for a speedy recovery to the wounded,” he said.
Earlier on Sunday, an Iranian missile struck a public bomb shelter in a building in Beit Shemesh, near Jerusalem, killing nine people and wounding over 20 others.
“We are in a campaign in which we are bringing the full force of the IDF, as never before, to ensure our existence and our future,” said Netanyahu.
Since the beginning of Operation ‘Roaring Lion’ the Iranian regime has been targeting civilians, we know that this is their strategy.
— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) March 1, 2026
In their recent attack they killed many civilians in the community of Beit Shemesh.
The Iranian regime is a terror regime.
I send my deepest… https://t.co/k59o82d001
“But we are also bringing to this campaign the assistance of the United States – my friend, President Donald Trump, and the U.S. military. This combination of forces enables us to do what I have longed to do for 40 years – to strike the terrorist regime decisively. That is what I promised – and that is what we will do.”
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed on Sunday that it eliminated around 40 senior Iranian commanders so far, including the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces.
“As part of the opening strike of Operation ‘Roaring Lion’, the Israeli Air Force, guided by IDF intelligence, struck and eliminated seven members of the top Iranian security leadership who had gathered at several locations in Tehran. Following the elimination of the seven senior leaders, the IDF now confirms that among those eliminated in the strikes was Abdolrahim Mousavi, who served as Chief of Staff of the armed forces.”
Mousavi had replaced Mohammad Bagheri, who was killed in the opening strike of “Operation Rising Lion” in June 2025. “As part of his role, he was responsible for managing Iran’s security apparatus and oversaw the firing of hundreds of ballistic missiles launched toward Israeli territory, which killed Israeli civilians during the operation,” the IDF noted.
‼️ The video outlines the phases of the operation: targeting air defense systems and missile launchers in western Iran, then paving the way toward Tehran and establishing aerial superiority over the capital. pic.twitter.com/STDYyyZvG3
— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) March 1, 2026
“The majority of the highest-ranking senior military officials of the Iranian security leadership have been eliminated by the IDF. With the launch of the preemptive operation, the Israeli Air Force has eliminated 40 senior commanders – a historic strike that was made possible due to the guidance of IDF intelligence.”
The military added that it has already dismantled the majority of the aerial defense systems in western and central Iran and about to establish complete aerial superiority over the skies of Tehran.
The IDF also announced that its intelligence branch had identified an effort to significantly accelerate the pace of missile production in Iran, with the goal of producing a stockpile of approximately 8,000 missiles by the year 2027.
At the start of the current war, the regime possessed an estimated stockpile of approximately 3,000 missiles, the IDF reported, adding that it had already managed to reduce the regime’s arsenal “by hundreds of missiles and prevented the production of at least 1,500 additional ballistic missiles.”
“The possession of missiles by a regime that openly declares its intent to destroy the State of Israel constitutes an existential threat,” the statement concluded.
“The IDF will not allow the Iranian terrorist regime to restore its military capabilities and will continue to act to neutralize any emerging threat against the citizens of the State of Israel, anywhere and at any time.”
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
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