Israel has reportedly launched a new wave of coordinated airstrikes on the Iranian capital, Tehran, resulting in the targeted elimination of high-ranking Iranian officials, including the Deputy Intelligence Chief, Brigadier General Alireza Lotfi. The strikes were carried out just hours after Iran was accused of violating the ceasefire agreement that was recently announced by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the 12-day conflict between both nations.
Iranian state media confirmed the death of Brigadier General Alireza Lotfi, who served as the Deputy Head of Intelligence in Iran’s Law Enforcement Command. Lotfi was reportedly inside a government facility when Israeli fighter jets conducted a precision air raid, striking critical intelligence and military installations across Tehran.
Brigadier General Alireza Lotfi.
Also among the dead is General Mohammad Taqi Yousefvand, who was the head of the intelligence protection department for the Basij paramilitary force — a division under Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to multiple sources, Yousefvand was killed in a direct Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) airstrike on the Basij headquarters in central Tehran.
This high-profile assassination comes on the heels of intense accusations from Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who stated that Iran had violated the ceasefire terms just hours after they were announced. “In light of Iran’s blatant violation of the ceasefire declared by the President of the United States, I have directed the IDF to continue high-intensity operations targeting regime assets and terror infrastructure in Tehran,” Katz said in a strongly worded statement to the press.
The Israeli Defense Ministry claims that Iran launched new missiles toward Israeli territory after the ceasefire was supposed to take effect, prompting swift military retaliation. However, Tehran has denied these allegations outright. Both Iran’s military and foreign ministry issued formal denials, insisting that no military aggression was undertaken after the ceasefire deadline passed.
Iranian state-affiliated media outlet Nour News echoed the government’s position, quoting senior military officials who confirmed that the country was strictly observing the terms of the truce. “Iran remains committed to the ceasefire. No missile or hostile action has been taken by our forces since the agreement,” the statement read.
The ceasefire, orchestrated by former U.S. President Donald Trump and unveiled just a day earlier, was intended to bring a complete end to nearly two weeks of escalating violence that began with Israel’s surprise airstrike on Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile infrastructure on June 13. However, with both nations trading accusations and conducting retaliatory strikes, the truce appears fragile and may be unraveling faster than expected.
The international community continues to monitor the situation closely, as fears mount over the possibility of a wider regional conflict involving multiple Middle Eastern powers.