Iranian government says killing of minister will not destabilize the country

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi Speaks on US-Israeli Assassinations

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has stated that the recent assassinations of high-ranking officials in Iran will not significantly impact the country’s leadership structure. The killing of Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Brigadier General Gholamreza Soleimani, head of Iran’s Basij forces, was confirmed by Iranian authorities.

Araghchi emphasized that Iran’s government relies on a robust political system with established institutions, rather than individual leaders. He noted that the presence or absence of key individuals does not affect this structure, and that each person plays a role within the system. Araghchi pointed to the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, which occurred on February 28, as an example of how the system continued despite significant losses.

The foreign minister also stated that the conflict in the Gulf region is not of Iranian choosing and that the US must be held accountable for its actions. Araghchi reiterated that the war is not Iran’s responsibility and that the country will continue to work towards resolving the situation through diplomatic means.

Iranian state media has confirmed the killing of Larijani, who was a confidant of Khamenei and his son Mojtaba Khamenei. Soleimani, commander of the Basij forces, was also killed in an attack attributed to the US-Israeli enemy. The killings have marked significant losses for Iran’s leadership since the start of the war 19 days ago.

A separate statement from Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara noted that targeted assassinations are not a normal practice in warfare and can have significant consequences, even if they do not lead to the collapse of the system.

Source: Al Jazeera