Majid Khademi, the intelligence chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Monday, Iranian state media reported. Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the strike, saying Israel was targeting “the leaders of the terrorists” and that it would continue to hunt down senior figures linked to attacks on Israeli civilians.
Iran said Khademi was among about 25 people killed in a wave of US and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory on Monday. The strikes came amid intense regional exchanges, with Iran launching drones and missiles at targets across the Gulf and at Israel in retaliation. Iran’s central military command had warned of “devastating and widespread” operations if civilian targets in Iran were hit.
In Israel, the aftermath of Iran’s strikes included a direct hit to a seven-story apartment building in Haifa. Two bodies were initially recovered; rescue teams later found two more, bringing the confirmed dead to four. Several others were injured, including an infant. Israeli search-and-rescue efforts continued through Monday amid damage across the city.
Across the Gulf region, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates reported injuries from falling debris after intercepting Iranian missiles and drones. Kuwait’s Health Ministry said six people were hurt by falling projectiles and debris in a residential area. Abu Dhabi authorities reported one injury from debris striking an industrial site. Kuwait’s military said its air defenses were active after a barrage overnight and into Monday morning.
Lebanon saw new strikes on southern Beirut, an area regarded as a Hezbollah stronghold. Israeli forces said they were targeting Hezbollah militants; Lebanese state media showed smoke rising from the southern suburbs. Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have been intense since the wider conflict expanded, and Lebanon has reported heavy casualties and mass displacement.
A separate Israeli strike was reported in the South Pars natural gas region. Iran’s Fars news agency described blasts near petrochemical and refinery facilities in the Asaluyeh area, the heart of Iran’s gas industry and part of the South Pars field that supplies a large share of Iran’s gas and petrochemical output. Israeli Defense Minister Katz said the strike hit “the largest petrochemical facility in Iran,” responsible for roughly half the country’s petrochemical production. Damage to energy infrastructure has raised fears of broader economic and supply consequences; South Korea and other import-dependent countries are reportedly seeking alternative oil routes and supplies.
Within Iran, state media reported multiple strikes on populated areas. An early morning airstrike near Eslamshahr, southwest of Tehran, reportedly killed at least 13 people. Tehran also experienced localized gas outages after a strike near Sharif University, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
Political and diplomatic reactions were swift. European Council President Antonio Costa called any targeting of civilian infrastructure “illegal and unacceptable,” urging negotiations and regional mediation rather than escalation. US President Donald Trump, who last month said he was not notified of previous Israeli strikes on South Pars, posted new threats against Iran, warning of attacks on energy infrastructure if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz by a deadline. His statements drew criticism from US Democrats, who condemned threats to bomb civilian infrastructure and questioned the president’s judgment.
Meanwhile, reports emerged that Egyptian, Pakistani and Turkish mediators presented a draft ceasefire proposal to both the US and Iran. The plan reportedly calls for a 45-day halt in fighting and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, but Iranian officials were said to have rejected reopening the strait as part of a temporary ceasefire and refused deadline-driven terms. There was no immediate official confirmation of acceptance from Washington or Tehran.
Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had spoken with Trump about a US mission to rescue a downed US service member, praising cooperation but giving no operational details.
Analysts note that despite the deaths of several senior Iranian security figures since the conflict began—including past high-profile losses—the IRGC’s decentralized command has so far allowed Tehran to continue coordinating responses. The strikes and counterstrikes have further destabilized the region, threatening civilian infrastructure, energy supplies and diplomatic prospects for a ceasefire.