Iran's Basij forces commander killed in US-Israeli strike
Gholamreza Soleimani, a senior officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who commands Basij forces, attends a gathering during Basij Week in the Iranian capital Tehran on Nov. 24, 2019. (AFP File Photo)


Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said Tuesday that Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij paramilitary forces, was killed in a strike it attributed to the United States and Israel, according to local media reports.

The report was carried by the Fars News Agency, without giving further details.

Earlier Tuesday, Israel had announced that it had killed Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani in an air strike, at the same time as it said it had assassinated Tehran's national security chief Ali Larijani.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards later confirmed Soleimani's death, but the authorities in Tehran have not yet confirmed that Larijani was killed.

Israel and the U.S. have continued joint attacks on Iran since Feb. 28, killing so far around 1,300 people, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting U.S. military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.