US-Israel Attack Iran: Unconfirmed Reports Claim Death Of Iranian Army Chief Amir Hatami

Tehran: Unconfirmed reports from Israeli media on Saturday claimed the death of General Amir Hatami, the Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Army, amid a wave of US-backed Israeli strikes that began earlier this morning, escalating military tensions in the Middle East, which has been on the edge of conflict for several weeks. 

However, there has been no official confirmation of the claims yet.

Hatami, who held the rank of major general, had been serving in this role since June 14, 2025, following the promotion of Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi. His appointment as Commander-in-Chief came after the assassination of his predecessor, Mohammad Bagheri, during Israeli strikes on Iran in June 2025. 

Born in 1966 in Tehran, Hatami joined the Basij as a volunteer at the age of 14 and began his service in the Iranian Army Ground Forces in 1984. He had served throughout the eight-year Iran-Iraq War, an experience that shaped his military outlook. 

Hatami was also a former Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics, serving from August 20, 2017, to August 25, 2021 under President Hassan Rouhani becoming the first defence minister in over two decades drawn from the regular Army rather than the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Israeli media reports indicate that General Amir Hatami was killed in a series of Israeli attacks on Iran that commenced earlier today. These strikes reportedly targeted multiple sites in Tehran, with explosions also reported in several other locations throughout the country.

Amid escalating tensions with the United States and Israel, Hatami, had on January 31, warned that Iran’s armed forces were on “high alert” and cautioned that any “enemy mistake” would jeopardise broader regional stability.

US President Donald Trump further confirmed today (February 28) that the US had begun "major combat operations" in Iran subsequent to the Israeli missile attacks. "Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime," Trump said in a video shared on social media. He claimed Iran has continued to develop its nuclear programme despite several rounds of talks, and plans to develop missiles to reach U.S. Trump also appealed to the Iranian people to take over their government, claiming ‘it will be yours to take.’  Iranian officials have warned of retaliation, with one official stating that the country's response "will be crushing." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the joint attack was to “remove an existential threat posed” by Iran. 

The US had demanded that Iran dismantle its nuclear enrichment program, transfer enriched uranium stockpiles to a third country, curb ballistic missile programme, and halt support for Hezbollah and Houthis. Iran had maintained that the talks must be limited to guarantees about the civilian purpose of its nuclear programme. However the scope of the talks should not extend to its missile program, its support of regional proxy groups or its own human rights abuses, Iran's stance had noted. After several rounds of discussions failed to pave the way for a replacement of Iran's the nuclear deal, it culminated into the exchange of missiles between Iran, and an US-backed Israel this morning. 

As the United States and Israel launched an attack Iran, explosions were reportedly heard in skies over Syria and Lebanon too. The first apparent strike reportedly happened near the offices of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 

Also read: ‘Lay Down Weapons Or Face Death’: Donald Trump Warns Iran