Iran’s
security chief, Ali Larijani, killed in airstrike, Israel says
If
confirmed, death would make Larijani the most senior Iranian figure to be
killed since Ali Khamenei on first day of war
Patrick
Wintour in London and Lorenzo Tondo in Jerusalem
Tue 17
Mar 2026 11.03 GMT
Israel
says it has killed a linchpin of Iranian politics, the national security chief,
Ali Larijani, in overnight strikes, a claim that if confirmed would make him
the most senior Iranian figure to die in the war since the supreme leader Ali
Khamenei was killed on its first day.
Iran has
yet to comment on either claim. If confirmed, Larijani’s death would remove a
pivotal figure at the heart of the regime’s political and security
establishment at a moment of acute crisis and represent devastating blow.
Israel’s
defence minister, Israel Katz, said a separate strike killed the Basij
paramilitary force commander, Gholamreza Soleimani, along with other senior
Basij figures.
“Larijani
and the Basij commander were eliminated overnight and joined the head of the
annihilation programme, Khamenei, and all the eliminated members of the axis of
evil, in the depths of hell,” Katz said on Tuesday.
Iranian
state media published a handwritten note by Larijani, who was in effect leading
the politics behind Iran’s war effort, commemorating sailors killed in a US
attack whose funeral is expected on Tuesday, but it did not represent proof
that he was alive, since it was most likely written before Israel bombed.
The twin
deaths, if confirmed, show Israel still retains intelligence on the movements
of Iran’s top leaders inside Tehran, and can use it and the US’s near complete
control of Iranian airspace to strike at will.
Larijani
had been seen days earlier on the crowded streets of Tehran during the annual
Quds day rally. He was appointed secretary of the supreme national security
council in August after the previous US-Iranian attacks on Iran in June 2025,
and on Monday issued a statement to Muslims around the world appealing to them
to support Iran in its struggle and challenging Gulf State leaders to explain
why they were still allowing US bases in their countries to be used to attack
Iran.
Larijani
had before the war also played a key diplomatic role alongside Iran’s foreign
minister, Abbas Araghchi, in trying to persuade the Gulf states to prevent an
attack on Iran. He also visited Muscat, the capital of Oman, to see the
mediators in the talks.
The
office of the Israeli prime minister said in a statement that Benjamin
Netanyahu had ordered “the elimination of senior officials of the Iranian
regime”.
The
US-Israeli war on Iran is in its third week, with at least 2,000 people killed
and no end in sight. The strait of Hormuz remains largely closed off and US
allies have rebuffed calls from the US president, Donald Trump, for them to
help to reopen the vital waterway, through which about 20% of global oil and
liquefied natural gas flows.
In the
handwritten statement issued by Iran state TV, Larijani had praised the bravery
of Iranian sailors who were killed when their ship was hit by missiles fired by
a US submarine off the Sri Lankan coast.
He had
written: “Their memory will always remain in the heart of the Iranian nation
and these martyrdoms will strengthen the foundation of the Islamic Republic
army for years within the structure of the armed forces.”
Probably
more than any other Iranian politician, Larijani combined Iran’s military and
political strategy. His death will confirm the prime role the Islamic
Revolutionary Guards Corps plays in Iranian politics. On Monday a former
long-time IRGC commander, Mohsen Rezaee, was appointed military adviser to the
new supreme leader.
Larijani
had been seen as one of the more pragmatic faces of Iran’s establishment – who
helped steer nuclear negotiations with the west – but that image later
hardened. Hours after US and Israeli strikes killed Khamenei, Larijani
delivered a defiant message, warning that Iran would make its enemies “regret”
their actions and promising a forceful response.
An
Israeli official said a strike on Larijani had originally been planned for the
previous night but was postponed at the last minute.
Intelligence
received on Monday afternoon indicated that Larijani was due to arrive at one
of several apartments he used as a hideout, the official said. He was
reportedly there with his son when the strike was carried out.
When news
he had been targeted began to circulate early on Tuesday, with his fate
remaining unclear, another senior Israeli official said “there was no chance he
survived this attack”.
Born in
Najaf, Iraq, in 1958 he studied in Tehran and after the Islamic revolution rose
through the ranks of the state, serving as culture minister, head of state
broadcasting and, for more than a decade, as speaker of parliament.
As chief
nuclear negotiator, he played a key role in shaping Iran’s engagement with
world powers, later backing the 2015 nuclear deal.
Though
often regarded as a pragmatist within the system, his stance had hardened in
recent months, as tensions with Israel and the US escalated and diplomatic
efforts faltered.
The US
had offered a reward of up to $10m (£7.5m) for information on senior Iranian
military and intelligence officials, including Larijani, as part of a list of
10 figures linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
If the
death of Larijani were to be confirmed, the number of senior Iranian officials
killed by Israel since the start of the latest conflict would rise to 10.
Among
them are five other senior military commanders, including Ali Shamkhani, a
close adviser to the supreme leader.
For the
past hours, massive explosions were reported in different parts of Tehran and
other cities across the country, including Ahvaz, Isfahan and Shiraz.
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