HALABJA, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iran on Friday confirmed the death of Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of the armed forces, in Israel’s extensive aerial campaign.

Iran’s state media said that the military commander was killed in the Israeli strikes on the country, contrary to earlier reports claiming Bagheri’s wellbeing.

Israel on early Friday announced it has carried out a “preemptive strike” against Iran, after multiple explosions were reported in the Iranian capital Tehran. The attacks targeted several parts of Iran, including the capital Tehran and the Natanz nuclear research facility in Isfahan.

The strikes have claimed several other notable Iranian officials, including Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), nuclear scientist and former head of the countries atomic energy organization Fereydoon Abbasi, President of the Islamic Azad University Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, and Commander of Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters Gholam Ali Rashid.

Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Iran's supreme leader, has also been "seriously injured," in the aftermath of the strikes.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed a “severe punishment” for Israel following the attacks. "With this crime, the Zionist regime prepared a bitter and painful fate for itself and it will definitely receive it," read a statement from Khamenei.

The IRGC said that Israel will “pay a heavy price for this crime that was committed with the knowledge of the evil rulers of the White House and the terrorist regime of the United States."

The Iranian army meanwhile, warned that “the army of the Islamic Republic, along with the Revolutionary Guard Corps, will not tolerate the aggression,” threatening to “teach Netanyahu a bitter lesson," in a statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benajmin Netanyahu hailed the campaign as “very successful,” in a video statement, saying “we carried out a very successful opening strike, and with God's help, we will achieve much more."