Irans top security official Ali Larijani reportedly killed in Israel operation

Israel’s Defence Minister Katz claims that Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has been assassinated. Iran has not made a public statement on the matter.

Larijani was last seen in public on Friday at an al-Quds day rally in Tehran, where he attended alongside Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. He has held various positions within Iran’s government, including leading nuclear negotiations with Western countries and serving as Speaker of the Parliament.

The Israeli military announced on Tuesday that it had conducted a targeted strike in Tehran, killing Gholam Reza Soleimani, commander of the Basij unit for the past six years. The Israeli military stated that the operation was based on “precise intelligence from Military Intelligence”. Iran has not confirmed this claim.

If Larijani’s death is confirmed, it would be the highest-ranking assassination in the conflict since US-Israeli strikes killed former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several members of his family in February. The circumstances surrounding Soleimani’s death are currently unclear.

Source: Al Jazeera