Click to see full-size. (Ali Larijani’s official account on X)
Defense Minister Israel Katz said on March 17 that Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, was killed in an Israeli strike overnight, with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announcing that Basij paramilitary force commander Gholamreza Soleimani was killed in a separate strike on the Islamic Republic.
“Larijani and the Basij commander were eliminated overnight and joined the head of the annihilation program, Khamenei, and all the eliminated members of the axis of evil, in the depths of hell,” Katz said during an assessment this morning, according to his office.
Born in 1958 to a prominent clerical family, Ali Larijani rose through the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and academia to become a central power broker in the Islamic Republic.
He is best known for his 12-year tenure as Speaker of Parliament and last role as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. He emerged as one of the main decision makers in Iran after the start of the American-Israeli war, especially in the period following the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Larijani was last seen publicly four days earlier, attending the al-Quds day rally in support of Palestinians in the capital, Tehran, along with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian.
After Katz’ announcement, Iranian state media released a photo of a handwritten message from Larijani for the funeral of Iranian sailors killed in the United States strike on the Iris Dena on March 4, without outright denying or confirming his death.
“The martyrdom of the brave members of the Navy of the Army of the Islamic Republic in Dena is part of the sacrifices of the proud nation that has emerged in this time of struggle against international oppressors,” Larijani wrote in what might have been his final missive. “Their memory will always remain in the heart of the Iranian nation, and these martyrdoms will strengthen the foundations of the Army of the Islamic Republic for years to come within the structure of the armed forces.”
Click to see full-size. (Ali Larijani’s official account on X)
Iranian state media has either confirmed or denied the death of the head of the Basij, which is considered an auxiliary to the IRGC that functions as a key instrument for internal security.
Click to see full-size image.
Another Israeli strike that targeted Iran overnight is reported to have targeted Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Akram al-Ajouri and other top officials from the group. This is yet to be confirmed, however.
The assassination of Larijani, if confirmed, would certainly be a blow to Iran. Still, it won’t be something surprising or unexpected.
So far, the killing of senior officials have not had any real impact on Iran’s command and control chain, nor affected the decision making mechanism in the Islamic Republic.
In fact, a recent Reuters report revealed that Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has rejected proposals for reducing tensions or for a ceasefire with the U.S. that were conveyed to the Islamic Republic by two intermediary countries.
Khamenei’s stance for revenge against the U.S. and Israel was “very tough and serious” in his first foreign policy session, an Iranian official told the news agency, without clarifying whether the leader attended the session in person.
The senior official also said it was not “the right time for peace until the United States and Israel are brought to their knees, accept defeat, and pay compensation.”
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