Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Israel said it has killed one of Iran’s most senior political and security figures, Ali Larijani, in a series of overnight airstrikes on Tehran, marking a major escalation in the ongoing war between Israel, the United States, and the Islamic Republic.
Larijani, 67, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and widely regarded as a central figure in the country’s leadership structure, is the highest-profile Iranian official reported killed since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was targeted earlier in the conflict. Israeli officials described Larijani as a “stand-in leader” and a key architect of Iran’s strategic and nuclear policies.
The Israeli military said the strikes targeted a safe house in Tehran where Larijani was believed to be hiding. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the operation, claiming that Larijani was killed alongside Gholamreza Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force. Katz said both men had “joined the head of the annihilation program” in death, in a sharply worded statement underscoring Israel’s increasingly aggressive posture.
Iran has not immediately provided a full official account of the strike, and earlier statements from Iranian authorities had indicated that Larijani was expected to deliver a public address, raising questions about the timeline and confirmation of his death. A handwritten message later posted on Larijani’s social media accounts, circulated by state media, appeared to pay tribute to Iranian sailors killed in a separate U.S. attack, further adding to the confusion.
The reported killing comes days after Larijani made one of the most defiant public appearances by a senior Iranian official since the war began. Speaking during Quds Day events in Tehran, he dismissed Israeli and U.S. strikes as acts of weakness and desperation, and warned U.S. President Donald Trump against escalating the conflict.
“These attacks are out of fear, out of desperation,” Larijani said at the time, addressing crowds in the capital. “One who is strong wouldn’t bomb demonstrations. It’s clear that it has failed.” He added that Trump “doesn’t understand that the Iranian people are a brave nation,” and warned that Washington would come to regret what he called a “grave miscalculation.”
Larijani had long been considered one of the Islamic Republic’s most influential insiders, with deep ties to both the political and security establishments. A former commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the Iran-Iraq War, he later rose to prominence as head of state broadcasting before serving as speaker of parliament from 2008 to 2020. He also played a key role in nuclear negotiations with Western powers and was seen as a trusted confidant of Khamenei.
Born in Najaf, Iraq, into a prominent clerical family close to Ruhollah Khomeini, Larijani remained a fixture of Iran’s political elite for decades. Despite his influence, he was barred from running in recent presidential elections, including in 2021 and 2024, reflecting shifting internal dynamics within Iran’s leadership.
Alongside Larijani, Israel said it also eliminated Gholamreza Soleimani, a key figure in Iran’s internal security apparatus. As head of the Basij, a volunteer force subordinate to the Revolutionary Guards, Soleimani was accused by Israel and human rights groups of overseeing crackdowns on anti-government protests, including a wave of demonstrations that peaked earlier this year.
According to the Israeli military, Soleimani and his deputy were targeted in a temporary encampment rather than a fixed headquarters, an apparent attempt to evade surveillance. The military also announced the killing of a senior commander in the Revolutionary Guards’ aerospace division, though details were limited.
The Basij has played a central role in suppressing dissent in Iran, particularly during periods of unrest. Recent protests across the country have posed one of the most significant challenges to the clerical establishment in years, prompting a heavy-handed response from security forces.
The latest strikes signal a widening campaign by Israel aimed at dismantling Iran’s leadership structure and military capabilities. Analysts warn that targeting figures of Larijani’s stature could further inflame tensions and push the region toward a broader and more unpredictable confrontation.
With both sides trading increasingly direct blows and rhetoric hardening, the risk of a prolonged and destabilizing conflict across the Middle East continues to grow.
