Jerusalem, 5 April, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s military announced Sunday that it has killed Mohammad Reza Ashrafi Kahi, the head of commerce at the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Oil Headquarters, in an air strike in the Tehran on Friday. The IDF said the strike was carried out by the Israeli Air Force based on military intelligence.

According to the IDF, the IRGC oil unit is a key financial arm that helps sustain the Guards’ military activity and force buildup by channeling profits from oil sales while bypassing international sanctions. The military said Ashrafi Kahi managed commercial operations worth billions of dollars annually and helped finance Iranian military capabilities as well as Tehran-backed proxy forces across the Middle East, including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis.

The announcement came days after Israel said it had also killed Jamshid Eshaqi, described by the IDF as commander of the armed forces’ Oil Headquarters. Iranian media and regional outlets previously reported Eshaqi’s death, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed he had been killed after an earlier strike.

Israel has increasingly signaled that Iran’s economic and energy-related infrastructure is part of its target set as the war broadens. Reuters reported on April 4 that Israel was preparing possible attacks on Iranian energy facilities, while regional media also reported strikes on petrochemical assets in recent days.

Iran did not immediately comment publicly on the specific Israeli claim regarding Ashrafi Kahi.

Kostis Konstantinou

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