Iran announced on Tuesday (March 17th) that Ali Larijani, one of the country’s top security officials, had been killed, marking a major development in the escalating conflict.
“The pure souls of the martyrs embraced the purified soul of the righteous servant of God, martyr Dr. Ali Larijani,” Iran’s Supreme National Security Council quoted AFP as saying.
“After a lifetime of struggle for the progress of Iran and the Islamic Revolution, he finally achieved his long-standing desire, answered God’s call and honorably attained the sweet grace of martyrdom in the trenches of service,” the council added.
Larijani was a powerful political figure whose influence grew after the reported death of Ali Khamenei in an earlier airstrike.
Larijani, a former parliament speaker and senior adviser, played a key role in the nuclear negotiations and was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department for allegedly “coordinating” the crackdown on protests.
Israel had previously announced that Larijani was killed in an overnight strike along with senior Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani. Iran’s state media confirmation now matches Israel’s claim.
The latest update marks the first clear confirmation from Iran of Larijani’s death. It follows Tehran’s earlier confirmation of Soleimani’s killing, further suggesting significant losses in Iran’s security leadership.
Iran has confirmed the killing of Basij chief Gholam Reza Soleimani
The Iranian judiciary-linked Mizan news agency on Tuesday (March 17) confirmed the killing of Gholam Reza Soleimani, head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Basij. Soleimani has long been accused of overseeing a crackdown on dissent and has been sanctioned by the United States, the European Union and others.
Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that both Soleimani and Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, were “eliminated last night.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes were aimed at weakening Iran’s leadership.
“We are undermining this regime to give the Iranian people an opportunity to remove it,” he said.
Key figures in suppressing protests
Both Larijani and Soleimani were central to Iran’s response to anti-government protests in January that challenged the country’s 47-year-old theocratic system. Their reported deaths could significantly affect Iran’s internal security structure during a critical phase of the conflict.
Sanctions and roles in the Basij
Soleimani, as head of the Basij militia, has been accused of leading efforts to suppress dissent over several years. His role has drawn sanctions from Western countries, reflecting international concern over human rights abuses linked to the protests.
