Top Iranian security official Ali Larijani was killed in overnight strikes, Israel said Tuesday, a development leaders on both sides described as a major moment in the conflict. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated Larijani had been “eliminated.” Iran’s Supreme National Security Council later confirmed Larijani’s death and said his son, Morteza Larijani, his chief of staff Alireza Bayat, and several guards were also killed.
As secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Larijani was one of the most senior surviving figures after earlier losses of top leaders — including, the narrative says, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — at the start of the war. A hardliner by background but a long-standing insider, Larijani occupied a unique position that bridged military, intelligence and political decision-making. He was deeply involved in both the conduct of the war and the political calculations surrounding it.
Larijani had a lengthy career inside the Islamic Republic: he served as a Revolutionary Guards officer, ran state broadcasting, acted as Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, and was speaker of parliament for more than a decade. In recent months he returned to the core of power as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and effectively managed day-to-day strategic choices as external and internal pressures increased. His membership in one of Iran’s most influential clerical families further reinforced his standing in the theocratic system.
Uniquely, Larijani could move between the security apparatus and diplomatic channels. He helped shape Iran’s nuclear posture and reportedly participated in quiet efforts to reopen lines with Washington even as tensions escalated. Trusted by Tehran’s leadership, he was one of the few people able to shape messaging, signal intentions, and keep external communications open while remaining acceptable to hardliners. His grasp of escalation dynamics and sense of when to step back made him an important figure in managing crises; his absence reduces that capacity.
In operational terms the immediate effect of his death may be limited, but politically it is significant. Losing a senior, credible insider is likely to harden attitudes inside Tehran and reinforce a narrative that the conflict is an existential struggle aimed at the survival of the regime. Over the longer term, it removes one of the relatively small number of officials who could have helped craft a political exit strategy and managed how the war might be brought to a close.
The loss is also personal to Iran’s new leadership: Mojtaba Khamenei, now described as supreme leader and son of the late ayatollah, loses one of the few men who understood how his father exercised power. That said, Iran’s institutions are designed to absorb such blows; authority is redistributed within the system rather than disappearing.
In his final public statements Larijani portrayed the conflict as existential, criticized Muslim countries for their apparent silence—asking, “Which side are you on?”—and denied that Iran sought domination of its neighbors. He was last seen publicly on Friday at an al-Quds Day demonstration in Tehran, moving through crowds in an act of defiance amid the fighting.
The Israeli military also announced the killing of Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, described as the commander of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force. The IDF said the Israeli Air Force, acting on intelligence, targeted Soleimani, accusing the Basij of leading harsh repression and mass arrests during anti-government protests. Israeli officials framed the strike as an additional blow to the regime’s security command-and-control and said they would continue to target commanders they deem responsible.
U.S. officials have said recent operations killed dozens of senior Iranian figures, and Washington announced incentives—up to $10 million and relocation offers—for information on the whereabouts of 10 senior Iranian individuals; Larijani had been listed among them. His death changes the personnel dynamics in Tehran and removes a rare interlocutor who could influence how the crisis might be de-escalated.