Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Tuesday that Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, has been killed in an Israeli strike, according to Reuters.
This claim has not yet been confirmed by Iranian authorities.
“I have just been updated by the Chief of Staff that Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and the head of the Basij — Iran’s central repression apparatus –, were eliminated last night,” Katz said in a statement released by his ministry.
Israeli officials told Reuters that Larijani was among the targets of a series of overnight airstrikes carried out across Iran.
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, targeting its leadership and triggering a new conflict in the Middle East.
Iran has been responding with a retaliatory counterattack in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi as a retaliatory move, while launching barrages of missiles and drones toward Israel.
One of the US-Israel strikes had killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His killing has raised critical questions concerning Iran’s future.
If Larijani’s death is confirmed, he would be the most senior Iranian official killed since the death of Ali Khamenei.
Larijani, who once led Tehran’s nuclear negotiation team and also served as a close ally to the late Supreme Leader, was photographed in Tehran on Friday participating at the massive Quds Day demonstrations.
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