Israel kills IRGC intelligence chief Khademi on war day 38
Confidence: HIGH (88/100) | April 06, 2026 | Israel
aljazeera.com
In one sentence: Israel killed IRGC intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi on April 6, with both Iran and Israel confirming the death amid a widening war.
Why it matters: Khademi was the second consecutive IRGC intelligence chief killed by Israel in under a year, accelerating a systematic decapitation of Iran's security command structure. His death comes as Trump's Tuesday deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — through which 20 percent of global oil and gas passes — threatens to trigger strikes on Iranian civilian infrastructure. A 45-day ceasefire proposal submitted by Egyptian, Pakistani and Turkish envoys now hangs in the balance, with Israeli sources assessing US-Iran talks are likely to fail.
What Happened Today
- Israel killed IRGC intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi in a precision strike at dawn on April 6, 2026, Day 38 of the US-Israeli war on Iran; Iran's IRGC confirmed his death via state broadcaster IRIB, and Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed responsibility, calling Khademi 'one of the top three officials in the organisation,' per AFP/Vanguard.
- The IDF simultaneously confirmed it killed Quds Force special operations commander Asghar Bagheri, who Israeli officials said personally commanded operations targeting IDF soldiers on the Syrian-Israeli border and recruited agents to attack American targets in Iraq and Syria, the IDF stated on X.
- Khademi was the second IRGC intelligence chief killed by Israel within a year: his predecessor Gen. Mohammad Kazemi was killed in an Israeli strike in June 2025 during the Twelve-Day War, and Khademi had been appointed to replace him, per Middle East Monitor and BusinessToday.
- The strike occurred as Iranian missiles and drones continued hitting Israel, Kuwait, the UAE, and Qatar on the same day, while US-Israeli jets struck Iranian petrochemical facilities, steel plants, and infrastructure; Defense Minister Katz said the targeted sites supported Iran's missile production industry, per NPR.
- A 45-day ceasefire proposal was submitted by Egyptian, Pakistani and Turkish envoys to US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday, per the Associated Press, but President Trump said Iran's response was 'significant' but 'not good enough,' and reaffirmed his April 7, 8pm ET deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Contested Claims
- IRGC statement via IRIB / Middle East Monitor / BusinessToday: Iran's IRGC blamed both the United States and Israel for the strike that killed Khademi. IDF statement on X / AFP via Vanguard: Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz attributed the strike solely to Israel, describing it as a response to Iranian attacks on civilian areas in Israel.
Unverified / Single Source
- (Unverified — state media only — location and strike method unconfirmed by independent sources) The IRGC's Telegram post said Khademi was killed 'at dawn' but provided no specific location or method of the strike. [IRGC Telegram statement via Vanguard/AFP]
- (Unverified — single source; Fars is IRGC-controlled state media and the claim could not be independently corroborated) Four girls and two boys below the age of 10 were killed in overnight US-Israeli attacks on a residential area in Tehran's Baharestan county. [Fars News Agency via Al Jazeera]
- (Unverified — anonymous source) An Israeli political source assessed that US-Iran talks are likely to fail and that Israel is preparing an extensive follow-on attack. [Haaretz, citing an unnamed Israeli political source]
Key Figures
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Days of active US-Israeli war on Iran as of this report | 38 days (since Feb. 28, 2026) | Al Jazeera day-count reporting, April 6, 2026 |
| Total people killed in Iran since the war began on Feb. 28, per Iranian state media | Over 1,340 | Middle East Monitor / Anadolu Agency, citing IRGC statement |
| Share of global oil and gas transiting the Strait of Hormuz, now under de facto Iranian blockade | 20 percent | Al Jazeera, April 5, 2026 |
| WTI crude oil benchmark price on day of Khademi killing | $109.16 per barrel (down 2.2% on reports of potential halt to fighting) | AFP via Vanguard, April 6, 2026 |
| Casualties from Iranian missile strike on residential building in Haifa, Israel (April 5) | 4 killed (identified family of four) | Haaretz, April 6, 2026 |
| Lebanese war death toll (Hezbollah-Israel front) by early April 2026 | More than 1,400 (militants and civilians) | Wikipedia / 2026 Iran war article citing multiple outlets |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Majid Khademi and why was he significant? Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi was the head of the IRGC's intelligence organization, appointed in June 2025 after his predecessor Mohammad Kazemi was killed by Israel. Israeli officials described him as effectively No. 2 within the IRGC and accused him of advancing terrorist attacks abroad and overseeing suppression of Iranian domestic protests.
What is the Strait of Hormuz and why does Trump's deadline matter? The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway through which roughly 20 percent of global oil and gas passes. Iran has imposed a de facto blockade in retaliation for the US-Israeli war. Trump set a deadline of April 7 at 8pm ET for Iran to reopen it or face strikes on Iranian power plants and bridges, threatening a major escalation.
Is there any prospect of a ceasefire in the Iran war? Egyptian, Pakistani and Turkish envoys submitted a 45-day ceasefire proposal to US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi on Sunday, per the AP. Trump called Iran's response 'significant' but 'not good enough,' while an Israeli political source assessed the talks were likely to fail, according to Haaretz.
Background
The 2026 Iran war began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury — nearly 900 strikes in 12 hours targeting Iranian military infrastructure, air defenses, and leadership, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran has retaliated with missiles and drones targeting Israel, US military bases, and Gulf Arab states, while imposing a de facto blockade on the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict escalated from a prior 12-day war in June 2025 and decades of proxy confrontation rooted in Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution and its nuclear program.
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