Dozens of Israeli aircraft participated in an initial wave of strikes on dozens of military targets and Iranian nuclear sites early on Friday morning.
Regime state media claimed that a number of children and civilians were killed in the strikes, although this claim has not been authenticated.
IRGC and military officials killed in Israel's attacks
According to the New York Times on Friday evening, Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani had been killed in the strikes.
Iranian state media confirmed the killing of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Salami in the opening strike of Israel's Operation Rising Lion, early Friday morning.
A number of Salami's bodyguards were also killed, according to the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA).
IRGC Major General Gholam Ali Rashid was killed in a strike, according to ISNA.
IRGC Air Force commander killed
Commander of the Air Force of the IRGC Amir Ali Hajizadeh was killed during the overnight strikes, the IDF announced.
Hajizadeh was a key figure in Iran who was responsible for the direct aerial attacks against Israel and he was a highly valued commander within the security establishment of Iran.
The commander of the IRGC's UAV Force in the Air Force, Taher-pour, and the Commander of the Aerial Command of the IRGC's Air Force, Davoud Shayhkian, were also killed alongside Hajizadeh.
Nuclear scientists killed
Nuclear scientist Dr. Fereydoun Abbasi was assassinated and died along with his wife and child, according to IRINN.
The Editor-in-Chief of Mashreq News reported that Dr. Abdulhamid Minouchehr, a faculty member and dean of the Faculty of Nuclear Engineering at Shahid Beheshti University, was killed.
Ahmadreza Zolfaghari, a professor at the Faculty of Nuclear Engineering at Shahid Beheshti University, was also assassinated, according to IRINN.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.