Israel Claims to Have Killed Ali Larijani, Right-Hand Man of Mojtaba Khamenei

Israel has claimed responsibility for two high-level killings in its latest strike against Iran. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that Ali Larijani, Iran’s top security official, has been killed in the recent Israeli attack.

Larijani, described as the right-hand man of Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, officially served as Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

According to Al Jazeera, Katz also claimed that the Israeli strike had killed Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the internal Basij militia. The Basij is a paramilitary internal security force within Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Tehran has not yet directly responded to these claims.

However, Iranian state media published a handwritten note attributed to Larijani, unclear whether intended as evidence that he remains alive. The handwritten note was published via Larijani’s social media accounts and expressed condolences for Iranian sailors killed in an American attack. The funeral for these Iranian sailors was scheduled to take place on Tuesday (17 March).

If Katz’s claim is confirmed, Larijani’s death would represent the highest-level killing in the conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel since the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who previously served as Iran’s Supreme Leader.

Larijani was last seen publicly on Friday (13 March) local time, when he attended a Quds Day commemoration rally in support of Palestine held in Tehran. He was present alongside Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Larijani has been a significant political figure within Iran’s hierarchy for many years. He previously led nuclear negotiations between Iran and Western nations and formerly served as Speaker of the Iranian Parliament.