Iran's top security officials, Ali Larijani killed in airstrike: Israel

Israel claimed its airstrikes in Iran killed senior official Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani, though there was no immediate confirmation from Iranian media

Israel on Tuesday claimed that its airstrikes in Iran killed senior Iranian security official Ali Larijani and Basij paramilitary force commander Gholamreza Soleimani on Monday. 

 

“Larijani and the Basij commander were eliminated overnight and joined the head of the annihilation program, Khamenei, and all the eliminated members of the axis of evil, in the depths of hell,” Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said. 

  

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) also confirmed the strikes on Larijani and Soleimani, according to the Times of Israel. 

 

At the time of publishing this report, Iran had not provided any official confirmation about the attack on Larijani or Soleimani. However, shortly after reports of the strike on Larijani emerged, his social media account on X posted a message offering condolences for Iran Navy soldiers.

 

"On the occasion of the funeral ceremony for the valiant martyrs of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Navy: Their memory will forever remain in the heart of the Iranian nation, and these martyrdoms will strengthen the foundation of the Islamic Republic's Army for years to come within the structure of the armed forces. I beseech the Almighty God for the highest ranks for these dear martyrs," the post said.

 

Similar strikes killed Iran's former supreme leader Ali Khamenei and many other senior Iranian officials on February 28. Larijani was the right-hand man of Ali Khamenei and was seen as a leading figure in the regime since Khamenei’s death. 

 

He had been vocal with his criticism against Israel and the United States (US) and has maintained that Iran will continue to retaliate against the "atrocities". These reports of the attack come a day after Larijani claimed that people linked to what he described as Jeffrey Epstein’s network were preparing a conspiracy to stage an incident similar to the September 11 attacks and blame Iran.

 

"It has been reported that what remains of Epstein's network is working to prepare a conspiracy aimed at fabricating an incident similar to the September 11 attacks, in preparation for accusing Iran of being behind it. The Islamic Republic of Iran categorically rejects such plots and terrorist operations on principle, and does not wage war against the American people," Larijani said on X.