IRGC intelligence chief Majid Khademi killed in Israeli Strike

Tehran: Israeli strikes have killed the intelligence chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, as Tehran on Monday defied threats from US President Donald Trump to devastate civilian infrastructure if it does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The Guards said their intelligence chief, Majid Khademi, was killed "at dawn" in US-Israeli strikes. The head of the intelligence organisation of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was killed on Monday in a "terrorist attack by the American-Zionist (Israeli) enemy", Iranian media said, citing a statement by the Guards.

Majid Khademi, who becomes the latest key figure killed in U.S.-Israeli air strikes, took over in 2025 after Israeli air strikes killed his predecessor.


He spent decades in intelligence and counter-espionage roles while rising through Iran's security apparatus.

Before his appointment, Khademi headed the Guards' Intelligence Protection Organisation, charged with internal surveillance and counter-intelligence, and held senior roles in Iran's defence ministry.

The IRGC intelligence arm is one of Iran's most powerful security bodies, with a central role in domestic surveillance to counter foreign influence, and often operating in parallel with the civilian intelligence ministry.

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed the strike, calling Khademi "one of the direct perpetrators" of attacks on Israeli civilians and vowing: "We will continue to hunt them one by one."

Oil prices eased slightly amid reports of a potential pause in fighting. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate fell 2.2% to $109.16 on Monday.

Region on edge

The war, which began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei, has spread across the Middle East and strained the global economy. Indonesia announced a sharp increase in aviation fuel surcharges, reflecting the global oil squeeze triggered by the conflict.

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned the region would "burn" if the US continued backing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Fresh strikes were reported across the region. Kuwait said six people were injured in a residential attack, while the UAE reported a missile and drone strike in Abu Dhabi that injured one person. Agencies