Israeli strikes have apparently eliminated Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and Mohammad Pakpour, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Reuters has reported this information, citing three sources.
Iran has long been Russia’s ally, supplying it with 57,000 Shahed drones that killed hundreds of Ukrainian civilians. Tehran has also transformed modern warfare, making drones the primary means of battlefield strikes.
During his career, Nasirzadeh maintained active ties with Russian and Belarusian officials.
Nasirzadeh and Belarus, and why this matters
Belarus is a Russian satellite and hosts the Oreshnik intercontinental missile system on its territory, which launches strikes against neighboring countries. Belarus’s involvement and proximity to European countries make Minsk a destabilizing actor in Europe.
In 2025, Nasirzadeh met with a delegation of the Belarusian Ministry of Defense. During the meeting, the sides agreed to expand military cooperation, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.
The Iranian delegation confirmed its readiness to deepen cooperation, including in technology transfer.
For its part, the Belarusian side expressed satisfaction with the growing level of partnership and emphasized the need to accelerate joint projects in the production of military equipment.
In July 2024, it was reported that Shahed-136 drones were demonstrated during the Independence Day parade in Belarus.
