Israel’s defense minister said Tuesday that Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, was killed in an overnight attack on Tehran. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and other Israeli officials were quoted as saying Larijani and a Basij commander were “eliminated” and that the IDF has been ordered to continue pursuing Iranian leadership and to target regime assets. The minister said the IDF is operating in Iran to suppress missile-launch capabilities and destroy strategic infrastructure, setting Iran back, the statement said.
The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar reported Iranian aerial attacks early Tuesday. Saudi authorities said they intercepted and destroyed more than a dozen drones, many over the country’s eastern region. Qatari officials said debris from an intercepted missile caused a minor fire in an industrial area but reported no injuries. UAE officials said air defenses were responding to incoming missile and drone threats and that sounds heard were from interception activity.
Additional Israel Defense Forces troops have been deployed in Lebanon after Israel launched what it called a “limited” ground operation targeting Hezbollah strongholds. The IDF said the deployments aim to establish a forward defense posture to remove threats and add security for residents of northern Israel against Hezbollah.
A tanker anchored about 23 nautical miles off Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, was struck by an “unknown” projectile early Tuesday, U.K. Maritime Trade Operations reported. UKMTO warned the threat environment remains critical near the Strait of Hormuz and noted that since the start of hostilities on Feb. 28, at least 20 maritime incidents involving commercial vessels and offshore infrastructure have been reported in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman.
(Photograph: Israeli soldiers and military vehicles near the Israel-Lebanon border, March 16, 2026; Shir Torem/Reuters)
