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Survey Note: Detailed Analysis of Claim Regarding Iranian General Staff and Nuclear Scientists
This section provides a comprehensive analysis of the claim that the entire Iranian general staff, including the head of the general staff and several senior Iranian nuclear scientists, were “all eliminated” in Israeli strikes on June 13, 2025. The analysis is based on verified news outlets, open-source intelligence, and relevant reports, ensuring a thorough examination of the facts versus the myth. The current date is June 23, 2025, and all information is aligned with this timeline.
Background Context
On June 13, 2025, Israel launched a series of airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear sites and military facilities, marking the beginning of the Iran-Israel war, as detailed in Wikipedia . The strikes, part of Operation Rising Lion announced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, aimed to degrade Iran’s nuclear program and military leadership. This event triggered retaliatory missile attacks from Iran and escalated regional tensions, as reported by multiple sources including the New York Times and Reuters .
The X post by Eric Daugherty , dated June 13, 2025, at 01:20 UTC, claimed that intelligence suggested the entire Iranian general staff, including the head of the military and several senior nuclear scientists, were “all eliminated.” This claim was accompanied by a CNN video showing a broadcast with the headline “Israel Strikes Iran, Targeting Nuclear Sites,” featuring discussions on the strikes and footage from Tehran. The post garnered reactions ranging from support for Israeli intelligence to concerns about escalation, as seen in replies from users like Congressman Randy Fine and Raymond Davis.
Verification Using Verified News Outlets
Verified news outlets provide detailed accounts of the strikes and their impact. The New York Times article from June 16, 2025, confirms that Israel hit multiple structures in Tehran, with Iran’s senior leaders miscalculating the timing of the attack . It mentions that Israeli strikes dealt a major blow to Iran’s military chain of command, killing at least six top generals, along with a senior politician and at least five nuclear scientists, as per Iranian state media and officials. However, it does not claim the entire general staff was eliminated, and notes that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei moved swiftly to replace military leaders to prevent a power vacuum.
Reuters reported on June 13, 2025, that Israeli strikes likely killed members of Iran’s general staff, including the chief of staff and several senior nuclear scientists, based on an Israeli defense official’s statement . Another Reuters article from the same day stated that Iran reported several top commanders and six nuclear scientists killed, with at least 20 senior commanders dead, including the head of the revolutionary guards . These reports suggest significant casualties but do not support the claim of the entire general staff being eliminated.
The Associated Press (AP) article from June 13, 2025, confirms that Israel struck Iran’s nuclear sites and killed top generals, with Iran retaliating with missile barrages, but again, it does not claim the entire general staff was wiped out . The Washington Post and CBS News also report on the conflict, noting casualties among military leaders and nuclear scientists, but no source claims the complete elimination of the general staff (Iranian missiles target Israel in retaliation for earlier strikes, Iran launches missiles at Israel, and some hit Tel Aviv, as Israel attacks Iranian nuclear sites and commanders).
Open-Source Intelligence Analysis
Open-source intelligence, particularly Wikipedia’s detailed page on the conflict, provides a timeline and casualty list. It states that the opening hours of the war saw targeted assassinations and attempted assassinations of Iran’s top military leaders, nuclear scientists, and politicians, with at least 10 leading nuclear scientists killed initially and the death toll rising to 14 by June 15, 2025 . Specific military casualties include General Gholamreza Mehrabi, General Mehdi Rabbani, the IRGC intelligence chief and his deputy, Mohammad Kazemi, Hassan Mohaqeq, Mohammad Khatami, Major-General Ali Shadmani, Quds Force commander Saeed Izadi, and IRGC commander Behnam Shahriyari, among others. However, the page notes replacements, such as Maj. Gen. Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi appointed as the new chief of staff, indicating that not all were eliminated.
The Institute for the Study of War’s special edition from June 13, 2025, reports that Israel killed five senior Iranian nuclear scientists from Shahid Beheshti University and targeted prominent members of the Iranian nuclear research network, with Iran replacing slain commanders with other high-ranking officers . This continuity suggests that the general staff was not entirely wiped out.
Academic and IAEA Reports
While no specific academic reports were directly cited, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not issued statements confirming the elimination of all Iranian nuclear scientists or the entire general staff. The IAEA’s role is to monitor nuclear activities, and given the reported disruptions, it would likely comment on significant impacts, but no such confirmation of total elimination exists in the available sources.
Detailed Casualty Breakdown
To organize the information, the following tables summarize the casualties among the Iranian general staff and nuclear scientists, based on the sources reviewed:
These tables highlight that while significant casualties occurred, the Iranian military and nuclear leadership were not entirely eliminated, as replacements and survivors continued to function.
Evaluation of the Claim
The claim that the “entire Iranian general staff” was eliminated implies that every member was killed, which is not supported by the evidence. Reports consistently mention that while many high-ranking officials were killed, new commanders were appointed, such as Maj. Gen. Ali Shadmani replacing his predecessor, and the Iranian military conducted retaliatory strikes, indicating operational continuity. The Times of Israel reported on June 17, 2025, that Israel killed the new war chief days after eliminating his predecessor, further showing that not all were killed initially .
For nuclear scientists, the death toll of 14 by June 15, 2025, is significant, but it does not suggest the complete elimination of all nuclear scientists, as Iran’s nuclear program likely involves many more personnel. The Israel Hayom article from June 20, 2025, reports a senior nuclear scientist killed in a targeted Tehran strike, indicating ongoing targeting but not total elimination Senior nuclear scientist killed in targeted Tehran strike.
Conclusion
Based on the analysis, the claim is a myth or exaggeration. While Israeli strikes on June 13, 2025, caused significant casualties among Iranian military leadership and nuclear scientists, the entire general staff was not eliminated. The Iranian military continued to function, with replacements appointed and retaliatory actions taken, as evidenced by reports from verified news outlets, open-source intelligence, and the lack of confirmation from academic or IAEA sources of total elimination.
Key Citations
Explosions and Buzzing Drones Heard as Israel and Iran Exchange New Wave of Attacks (https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/12/world/israel-iran-us-nuclear)
Iran–Israel war (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_2025_Israeli_strikes_on_Iran)
Israel strikes Iran. What happens next?(https://www.brookings.edu/articles/israel-strikes-iran-what-happens-next/)
Israel strikes Iran’s nuclear sites and kills top generals. Iran retaliates with missile barrages (https://apnews.com/article/iran-explosions-israel-tehran-00234a06e5128a8aceb406b140297299)
Iran strikes back at Israel with missiles over Jerusalem, Tel Aviv (https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-says-it-strikes-iran-amid-nuclear-tensions-2025-06-13/)
Israeli official: Increasingly likely Iran’s army chief and top nuclear scientists eliminated (https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/israeli-official-increasingly-likely-irans-army-chief-and-top-nuclear-scientists-eliminated/)
IDF eliminates Iranian chief of staff who took office over weekend (https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/06/17/idf-eliminates-iranian-chief-of-staff-who-took-office-over-weekend/)
IDF says it eliminated Iran’s top military commander, who was in office only days (https://www.jns.org/idf-says-it-eliminated-irans-top-military-commander-who-was-in-office-only-days/)
Who are Iran’s new top military leaders after Israel’s assassinations? (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/15/who-are-irans-new-top-military-leaders-after-israels-assassinations)
Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists killed in Israeli strikes (https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iranian-commanders-nuclear-scientists-killed-israeli-strikes-2025-06-13/)
Live updates: Iran retaliates against Israel for strikes on nuclear sites (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/israel-attacks-iran-killing-at-least-2-military-officers)
Israel kills Iran’s new war chief days after taking out predecessor, as strikes continue (https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-strikes-continue-israel-kills-irans-new-war-chief-days-after-taking-out-predecessor/)
Senior nuclear scientist killed in targeted Tehran strike (https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/06/20/senior-nuclear-scientist-killed-in-targeted-tehran-strike/)