Middle East
17-03-2026 | 11:05
Israel says it killed a top Iranian security official and the Basij force chief
Amid escalating Israeli‑American operations, Larijani condemns “deceptive aggression” while the U.S. offers $10M reward for Revolutionary Guard leaders.
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Israel says Ali Larijani, top Iranian security official, killed by Israel in strike (AP)
Israeli defense minister said Tuesday that the Israeli military killed top Iranian security official Ali Larijani in an overnight strike.
Israel Katz made the announcement.
The Israeli military also announced it killed Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force.
Iranian state media did not immediately confirm either death. However, it said a message from Larijani’s office would published shortly.
The killings again strip away top leaders from the Iranian theocracy after the Feb. 28 strike that killed 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“Larijani and the Basij commander were eliminated last night and have joined Khamenei, the head of the annihilation program, along with all those eliminated from the axis of evil in the depths of hell,” Katz said in a statement.
Larijani hails from one of Iran’s most famous political families. A former parliamentary speaker and senior policy adviser, he was appointed to advise the late Khamenei on strategy in nuclear talks with the Trump administration. He also served as the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, its top security body.
Born June 3, 1958, Larijani had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in January as Tehran violently suppressed nationwide protests. It identified him as being “responsible for coordinating the response to the protests on behalf of the supreme leader of Iran.”
“Larijani was one of the first Iranian leaders to call for violence in response to the legitimate demands of the Iranian people,” the U.S. Treasury said at the time.
The nationwide protests in January and the violent crackdown that followed killed thousands and saw tens of thousands detained.
Larijani had been a conservative force within Iran’s theocracy. He served as parliament speaker from 2008 to 2020. However, as Iran increasingly felt pressured from abroad and at home, Larijani began issuing more hard-line threats.
Larijani’s brother, Sadeq, had served as the head of Iran’s judiciary.
The late Khamenei had barred Larijani from running for president in 2021 after he positioned himself as a pragmatic candidate who would back a return to Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
“I have done my duty before God and the dear nation, and I am satisfied,” Larijani wrote on then-Twitter at the time. “Thank you to all those who expressed their gratitude and I hope you will participate in the elections for the promotion of an Islamic Iran.”
Israel says it has killed the head of Iran’s Basij force
The Israeli military said Tuesday it killed Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani in a strike on Monday.
Iran did not immediately acknowledge Soleimani’s killing.
The all-volunteer force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is used to suppress demonstrations in the country.
“The Basij forces are part of the armed apparatus of the Iranian terror regime,” the Israeli military said in its statement. “During internal protests in Iran, particularly in recent periods as demonstrations intensified, Basij forces under Soleimani’s command led the main repression operations, employing severe violence, widespread arrests, and the use of force against civilian demonstrators.”
The U.S. Treasury listed Soleimani’s birth year as 1965. He has been sanctioned by the U.S., the European Union and other nations over his role in helping suppress dissent for years through the Basij.
“The Basij organization used lethal force to suppress the November 2019 protests in Iran, causing the deaths of and injuries to unarmed protesters and other civilians in many cities across the country,” the EU said in sanctioning him. “As head of the Basij organization, Gholamreza Soleimani bears responsibility for the violent suppression of the protests and serious human rights violations in Iran.”
Since the war began Feb. 28, Israel has launched specific attacks targeting Iran’s leadership, killing 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other military commanders.
Killing Soleimani likely could further strain the command and control of the Basij, which would be crucial in putting down any uprising against the theocracy.
The Basij and other internal security forces have been a target of attack by both the Americans and the Israelis so far.
U.S. State Department statement.
Iran’s Mehr News Agency published a handwritten message by Ali Larijani following Israel’s announcement of his death.
handwritten message by Ali Larijani
With input from AP
Developing story......