Israel Katz has announced that Iran’s top national security figure, Ali Larijani, was “eliminated last night,” alongside the commander of Tehran’s Basij paramilitary force, Gholamreza Soleimani.
If confirmed by Iran, the reported killing of Larijani would mark one of the most high-profile assassinations since the death of Ali Khamenei and other senior figures during the wave of US-Israeli strikes that ignited the ongoing conflict on February 28.
Katz stated that he received confirmation from Israel’s military chief that both Larijani and Soleimani had been killed during overnight operations. He added that the two men “have joined Khamenei, the head of the annihilation program, along with all those eliminated from the axis of evil in the depths of hell.”
The office of Benjamin Netanyahu also released an image showing the prime minister on a call, accompanied by a caption indicating that he had ordered the targeting of senior figures within the Iranian leadership.
Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that Soleimani was killed in what it described as a “precise strike” in Tehran.
“Yesterday (Monday), the Israeli Air Force, acting on IDF intelligence, targeted and eliminated Gholamreza Soleimani, who operated as commander of the Basij unit for the past six years,” the military said.
The Basij, a paramilitary volunteer force operating under Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has been accused by Israel of playing a central role in suppressing recent protests across the country.
Iran has experienced widespread unrest in recent months, with demonstrations peaking earlier in the year and drawing strong responses from state authorities. According to rights groups, the crackdown resulted in thousands of deaths and mass arrests.
Meanwhile, Israel’s military chief, Eyal Zamir, stated that “significant preventive achievements were recorded overnight,” suggesting that the operations were part of a broader strategy to weaken Iran’s security and military structure.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation from Tehran regarding the reported deaths, leaving the claims unverified amid rising tensions in the region.
What you should know
The reported killing of Ali Larijani, if confirmed, would represent a major escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
Larijani is considered a highly influential figure in Iran’s political and security structure, and his death could have significant implications for the country’s leadership and strategic direction. The targeting of senior officials reflects a broader pattern of high-level strikes aimed at weakening Iran’s command structure.
However, such actions also risk intensifying the conflict further, potentially triggering retaliation and widening instability across the Middle East.
