Frank Rondel
Israel’s military said it carried out an overnight strike on March 17 targeting Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, , reports customreceipt.com via The Times of Israel. The Israel Defense Forces stated that the operation was directed at Larijani, while Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz later declared that the senior Iranian official, described as the country’s “de facto leader,” had been killed in the attack.
Iranian authorities had not issued any official response or confirmation regarding Larijani’s reported death at the time of publication. The absence of immediate comment left the Israeli claims unverified from Tehran’s side.
According to a source cited by Israel’s Channel 12 with ties to the country’s security services, intelligence received on March 16 indicated that Larijani was expected to arrive at one of his covert residences in Tehran. The source said he was at the location with his son when the strike was carried out. The same source asserted that the scale and precision of the attack left no chance of survival.
The Israeli military also reported that the same operation resulted in the death of Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary force subordinate to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Basij is known for its role in internal security operations, including the suppression of anti-government protests across Iran.
Larijani is considered the highest-ranking Iranian official reportedly killed since the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. According to prior reporting by The New York Times, Larijani had recently assumed a central leadership role, overseeing both domestic security measures and strategic preparations amid escalating tensions. He was tasked with managing crackdowns on unrest and coordinating defense planning, while also maintaining diplomatic channels with key regional partners, including Russia, Qatar, and Oman. In addition, he was involved in overseeing negotiations with the United States concerning Iran’s nuclear program.
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