Israel Claims It Killed Top Iranian Official Ali Larijani in Overnight Strike

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced on Tuesday that senior Iranian officials, including former top security official Ali Larijani, were killed in strikes overnight, in what would mark one of the most significant assassinations since the recent escalation of conflict in the region.

Katz stated that he was informed by the Israeli military chief that Larijani, a powerful figure who formerly served as Iran’s national security chief, along with the commander of Tehran’s Basij paramilitary force, Gholamreza Soleimani, “were eliminated last night.”

If confirmed by Tehran, the death of Larijani would represent the highest-profile killing since the wave of US-Israeli strikes began on February 28, which previously resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other leaders.

In a statement laden with rhetoric, Katz said the two leaders “have joined Khamenei, the head of the annihilation program, along with all those eliminated from the axis of evil in the depths of hell.”

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also released a photograph of the premier on the phone, captioned: “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders the elimination of senior figures in the Iranian regime.”

The Israeli military had earlier confirmed the killing of Basij chief Soleimani, announcing that the Israeli Air Force “targeted and eliminated” him in a precise strike in Tehran. According to the military, Soleimani had commanded the Basij unit for the past six years.

The Basij, a volunteer force operating under Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards, has played a key role in internal security. The Israeli army characterized it as leading “the main repression operations” by authorities during recent mass protests in Iran.

Iran experienced unprecedented anti-government demonstrations that peaked in January, triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody. Rights groups estimate that thousands were killed and tens of thousands arrested during the subsequent crackdown by security forces.

In a separate statement released earlier, Israel’s military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said that “significant preventive achievements were recorded overnight,” though he did not provide specific details.