In a significant escalation of tensions between Iran and Israel, a prominent figure within Iran’s military leadership, Hossein Salami, has reportedly been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran. Salami, chief of the Revolutionary Guards, was known for his close ties to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his vehement denunciations of Israel and its ally, the United States.
Salami issued stark warnings to Iran’s adversaries, famously proclaiming, “If you make the slightest mistake, we will open the gates of hell for you,” during a tour of an underground missile base earlier this year. His rhetoric exemplified the aggressive stance of the Revolutionary Guards, an elite military unit formed in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Born in 1960, Salami’s military career began in 1980 with the Revolutionary Guards amid the brutal eight-year war against Iraq under Saddam Hussein. Throughout his tenure, he held numerous key positions within the organization, eventually becoming the head of its aerospace division. His prominence in the military establishment also led to his inclusion on Washington’s sanctions blacklist.
In 2019, Salami reached the apex of his career when he was appointed commander of the Revolutionary Guards following a significant reshuffle. Under his supervision, the Guards have expanded their influence in regional conflicts, particularly in support of groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, which have repeatedly clashed with Israel.
Salami championed the Palestinian cause, a tenet central to Iran’s foreign policy as laid out by the revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He often echoed sentiments that called for the elimination of Israel, infamously suggesting in 2018 that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should “learn to swim in the Mediterranean Sea” to prepare for his escape.
The Revolutionary Guards have been crucial to Iran’s foreign policy in the Arab world, aligning with militant factions and engaging in strategies that have stoked regional unrest. Recently, hostilities between Iran and Israel intensified, culminating in the first-ever direct exchanges of fire last year, setting the stage for a wave of Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian assets.
The death of Salami marks a pivotal moment in this escalating conflict, representing not only a loss for Iran’s military leadership but also raising questions about the future trajectory of Iran-Israel relations amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
