Maj. Gen. Ali Shadmani, Iran’s newly appointed top military commander has been killed.

He was killed by Israel on Monday in a targeted airstrike, just days after eliminating his predecessor in the opening salvos of Israel’s offensive against Iran.

Shadmani had assumed leadership of the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran’s military emergency command, following the death of Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid in Israeli strikes on Friday. He held the position for only four days before being taken out in what the IDF described as a precision operation.

According to the IDF, Shadmani was de facto Iran’s most senior military commander, serving as the “war chief of staff” and a close confidant of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“He commanded both the Revolutionary Guards and the Iranian Armed Forces.

“Under his leadership, the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters was responsible for managing combat operations and approving Iran’s attack plans,” the IDF said in a statement.

The military stated Shadmani’s direct involvement in offensive strategies targeting Israel, adding that his death delivers another significant blow to Iran’s military command structure.

Shadmani had previously served as deputy head of the Khatam-al Anbiya HQ and was also chief of operations for Iran’s armed forces—roles that placed him at the centre of Iran’s strategic military planning.