Israel claims it killed senior Iranian military aide in Tehran strike

The Israeli army claimed Sunday that it had killed the head of the military office of Iran's supreme leader in an airstrike in Tehran.

A military statement said that Abu al-Qassem Baba'iyan was "eliminated" in Tehran based on "precise intelligence" from the army's Intelligence Directorate.

It claimed that Baba'iyan was the head of the supreme leader's military office and chief of staff of the emergency command of Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters.

The army alleged that Baba'iyan was responsible for coordinating between Iranian institutions "to advance military plans and operate emergency systems against Israel."

It said Baba'iyan was appointed to the post after the death of Mohammad Shirazi, former head of the supreme leader's military office, during the first days of the US-Israeli offensive.

Regional escalation flared up since Israel and the US launched a joint attack on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,200 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and injuring over 10,000 others, according to Iranian authorities.

Tehran retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, Iraq, Jordan and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.