Israel’s defense minister announced Tuesday that Ali Larijani, Iran’s security chief, was killed in overnight airstrikes, marking the highest-ranking official to be targeted since the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28. The news comes as regional tensions continue to escalate following weeks of conflict between Iran and its adversaries.
“The Chief of Staff just informed me that Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and Soleimani, head of the Basij, Iran’s central repressive apparatus, were eliminated last night,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a video message. Iranian authorities have not yet confirmed the report.
Larijani’s death, if confirmed, would represent a significant blow to the Iranian regime, as he was a key figure within the Islamic Republic and one of its principal ideologues.
A Veteran of Iranian Politics
A mathematician and philosopher by training, Larijani fought in the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) and has held numerous high-level positions throughout his career, including Minister of Culture, director of public broadcasting, chief nuclear negotiator, parliamentary speaker, and a presidential candidate. Most recently, he served as head of the Supreme National Security Council.
Since the beginning of the current conflict, Larijani has taken on a more visible role than the son and successor of the Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since the conflict began. The whereabouts and health of the new supreme guide, reportedly injured in the attack that killed his father, remain the subject of speculation.
The United States sanctioned Larijani in January 2026 for what Washington described as “violent repression of the Iranian people,” following protests that erupted across the country.
ms (dpa/ap/afp/efe)
