Ali Larijani, Iran’s security chief, killed in overnight attacks: Israel Defence Minister

Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and one of the most influential men in the post-Khamenei Iran, was assassinated in an overnight air strike, the Israeli military and Defence Minister Israel Katz claimed on Tuesday (March 17, 2026). “Throughout the years, Larijani was considered one of the most veteran and senior figures within the Iranian regime leadership, and was a close associate of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei,” the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement. During the January protests against the Iranian government, “Larijani personally oversaw the massacre that was carried out against Iranian protestors,” it added. Iran-Israel war LIVE updates After Ali Khamenei was killed on February 28 by a joint Israel-American strike, Larijani had emerged as a defiant public face of the Iranian state. He ruled out talks with the U.S. and vowed to “burn the hearts of the enemies” in the early days of the war. On March 13, he was seen rallying in Tehran along with supporters of the government and gave interviews to the state media, saying Iran would not surrender. The Iranian government has neither confirmed nor rejected Israel’s claim. Immediately after the IDF and Mr. Katz claimed that he was killed, his Telegram and X handles posted a photo of a handwritten statement from Larijani, paying homage to the Iranian sailors killed in the U.S. strike on the Iris Dena on March 4 off Sri Lanka. “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 the message. “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.” In a separate statement, the IDF said it killed Gholamreza Soleimani, the commander of the Basij Force, a paramilitary group, along with his deputy and several other top officials. “During internal protests in Iran, particularly in recent periods as demonstrations intensified, Basij forces under Soleimani’s command led the main repression operations, employing severe violence, widespread arrests and the use of force against civilian demonstrators,” the IDF said. In a video message released on Tuesday, Israel Katz, the Defence Minister, said, Larijani and Soleimani had “joined the head of the annihilation program, Khamenei, and all the eliminated members of the axis of evil, in the depths of hell.” In January, after Tehran’s crackdown on protests and riots, Larijani was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department, which said: “Larijani was one of the first Iranian leaders to call for violence in response to the legitimate demands of the Iranian people.” A confidant of Ali Khamenei and a close ally of Mojtaba Khamenei, the current Supreme Leader, Larijani, who earned a PhD in western philosophy, headed the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting for 10 years and served as the Speaker of Parliament. He had contested the 2005 presidential election but lost. He re-entered the centre stage of Iranian politics in 2024 after President Masoud Pezeshkian brought him back as the Secretary of the National Security Council. Published - March 17, 2026 03:14 pm IST ### Related Topics Israel-US strikes on Iran / Israel / Iran / war