Hossein Salami’s Death Reveals the Extent of Israeli Infiltration into the Revolutionary Guards
Major General Hossein Salami, a close ally of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was one of Iran’s most prominent military figures and a founding member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), having spent most of his career within its ranks.
His death on Friday in an Israeli airstrike on Tehran is a significant loss for the Iranian regime. At the same time, it highlights the deep level of Israeli penetration into Iran’s military infrastructure.
Targeting Salami sends a powerful message to Khamenei: Israel has the capability to reach its targets deep within the Iranian military establishment.
Last month, Salami warned Israel and the United States against any potential attacks, stating, “If you make the slightest mistake, we will open the gates of hell upon you.”
Born in 1960 in central Iran, Salami—recognizable by his large stature and deep voice—frequently appeared at public ceremonies and on television, delivering fiery speeches echoing the regime’s hardline rhetoric against Israel, Iran’s regional arch-enemy.
Iranian state TV recently aired footage of Salami issuing orders by phone from a military command center, directing IRGC forces to strike Israel during the unprecedented drone and missile assault in mid-April 2024.
In 2018, he taunted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he should “learn to swim in the Mediterranean” as he might soon be forced to flee his country.
Salami was part of the first generation of IRGC commanders, established in the early 1980s during the Iran–Iraq war following the Islamic Revolution. He rose through the ranks to head the IRGC’s Aerospace Force before being appointed Commander-in-Chief in April 2019, replacing Mohammad Ali Jafari amid sweeping leadership changes.
Upon appointing Salami, Khamenei praised his “competence and valuable experience in managing top-level institutions and responsibilities within the Revolutionary and popular forces,” entrusting him with “enhancing the IRGC’s comprehensive capabilities and readiness across all sectors.”
This high-level position also earned Salami a seat on Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, which reports directly to the Supreme Leader on military, security, and foreign policy matters.
Founded in 1979 following the Islamic Revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini, the IRGC operates under the direct command of Khamenei, who serves as the Supreme Commander of Iran’s Armed Forces.
According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the IRGC comprises approximately 125,000 personnel, though no official numbers are available. Unlike the regular army, the IRGC’s core mission is not territorial defense but safeguarding the “revolution and its achievements,” as outlined in Iran’s Constitution. To this end, it maintains independent ground, naval, and aerospace forces.
