Davoud Sheikhian

Davoud Sheikhian (Persian: داوود شیخیان; died 13 June 2025) was an Iranian military officer and Brigadier General in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).[1] He served as the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force air defense command and was regarded as a central figure in Iran's air defense operations. Sheikhian was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Tehran in June 2025, during a targeted operation against senior Iranian military officials.[2][3]

Early life and career

Davoud Sheikhian joined the IRGC at a very early stage of his career. He climbed up the ranks in the field of air defense and aerospace systems. His skills and leadership made him an important planner in building Iran's defense system, earning him his role as head of the IRGC's Air Defense Division.[4][5]

As the head of the IRGC's Air Defense Division, Sheikhian was in charge of building and managing Iran's air defense systems. This included missiles that could target aircraft, radar systems, and anti-aircraft weapons. He helped improve teamwork between the IRGC Aerospace Force and Iran's regular army (Artesh), especially to defend against enemy planes and drones.[6][7]

Sheikhian supported the idea of developing air defense technology inside Iran. He played a key role in putting together a layered defense system, which used both Iranian-made systems like Khordad-15 and Bavar-373, as well as foreign ones like the Russian S-300.[5][7]

Death

On 13 June 2025, he was killed during the Iran-Israel War as the Israeli Air Force executed a large scale operation targeting a secure compound in Tehran.[8][1] The attack is said to target a confidential gathering of high-ranking Iranian defense officials, killing at least eight other senior IRGC generals in fields of missile development, cyberwarfare, and nuclear strategy.[7][4] Iran's state media confirmed his death, and official mourning ceremonies were held.[5] His death was one of the biggest losses for Iran's military leaders in recent years and increased tensions between Iran and Israel. His funeral set on 28 June 2025, was set alongside the whole top chain of command that was killed during the war.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "IRGC Aerospace Air Defense Commander Gen. Sheikhian Martyred in Israeli Airstrike". iranpress.com. Archived from the original on 13 June 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  2. ^ "IRGC Aerospace Force official martyred in Israeli strikes". Tehran Times. 13 June 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  3. ^ Studies, Middle East, politics, GCC, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Nuclear deal, Yemen, Trump, MENA, Turkey, Gulf Crisis, Qatar,Future for Advanced Research and. "مركز المستقبل - Initial Insights from the Israel-Iran Military Confrontation". Futureuae (in Arabic). Retrieved 25 June 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b "Iran confirms deaths of 8 more senior commanders in Israeli attacks". english.news.cn. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  5. ^ a b c "IRGC releases names of 7 Aerospace commanders martyred". Mehr News Agency. 15 June 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Iran to hold funerals for top commanders, scientists killed in Israel strikes: State media". Al Arabiya English. 25 June 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  7. ^ a b c Mukhina, Olena (13 June 2025). "Israel eliminates Iranian commander, who helped Russia to kill hundreds of Ukrainians with kamikaze drones". Euromaidan Press. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  8. ^ AP. "Iran lists head of missile program, 7 deputies killed in Israeli strike". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
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