– The Washington Times
The Israeli military announced Tuesday that Ali Larijani, Iran’s top national security official, was killed in an airstrike overnight.
Iran has not commented on Mr. Larijani’s status. Moments after the Israeli military said Mr. Larijani was killed, his X account posted an image of a handwritten statement honoring the Iranian navy and sailors who had been killed in U.S. strikes.
If confirmed, Mr. Larijani’s death would constitute a major loss for Iran. Mr. Larijani, 67, was a close follower of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and has effectively governed the country after Khamenei’s death on Feb. 28 in a U.S.-Israeli airstrike.
In addition to serving as Khamenei’s national security adviser, Mr. Larijani was the head of Iran’s Basij paramilitary organization, partly responsible for cracking down on internal dissent.
Israel also said it killed Gholamreza Soleimani, a prominent commander of the militia organization, on Tuesday.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that with Mr. Larijani’s death, Israel is one step closer to toppling the Islamic republic.
Mr. Larijani was seen by many in Iran as a exemplary leader who could build strong ties across the aisle within the regime and with international leaders. He was among the small number of Iranian leaders whom international observers suggested as potential partners for the U.S. in finding a diplomatic end to the war.
Mr. Larijani’s power also grew in January when he took the lead in cracking down on the nationwide protests that demanded an end to the Islamic republic. His deployment of deadly force crushed the demonstrations, leading to thousands of civilian deaths.
He had become a prominent figure in geopolitics over the past year, even at times bypassing Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. He masterminded several rounds of nuclear negotiations with the U.S. and developed public ties with Russian and Chinese officials.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
