Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has announced that Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran overnight. According to the Israeli military, the strike targeted a safe house in the Iranian capital.
Here are the established facts currently surrounding the situation:
The Israeli Announcement: Defence Minister Katz stated that Larijani, who had emerged as a de-facto leader in Iran following the February 28 assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was “eliminated” in the strikes.
Additional Targets: The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) also claimed to have killed Gholamreza Soleimani, the commander of the Basij paramilitary force, in the same wave of overnight attacks.
Lack of Official Confirmation: Iranian authorities have not yet issued an official statement confirming or denying the deaths of Larijani or Soleimani.
Social Media Activity: Adding to the uncertainty, a handwritten note attributed to Larijani was posted to his X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram accounts shortly after Israel’s announcement. The message paid tribute to Iranian naval forces killed in an earlier clash on March 4, though it remains unclear exactly when the note was written.
Larijani had just recently been seen in public, participating in Quds Day rallies in Tehran alongside Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian days prior to the reported strike.