Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday said that Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani has been killed in an Israeli strike. However, there has been no official confirmation from Iran, and Larijani’s status remains unclear. Earlier reports indicated that Larijani was among the targets of Israeli strikes, but it was not immediately confirmed whether he had been killed or injured.
The development further cripples Iran’s leadership, which reportedly lost Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of strikes. His successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, is also believed to be in a coma with serious injuries. Another senior commander, Gholamreza Soleimani, was killed in Israeli airstrikes on Monday night.
Amid Israel’s claims of having killed Ali Larijani, the Iranian security chief’s X account remains active. A hand-written post shared on Tuesday afternoon shows him paying tribute to the martyrs of the Iranian Navy.
Larijani’s X activity raises questions over Israeli claim
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz and the IDC claimed that Larijani was eliminated in airstrikes. However, his latest post includes a handwritten note in Persian referring to the funeral ceremony for the “valiant martyrs of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Navy.”
“Their memory will forever remain in the heart of the Iranian nation, and these martydoms will strengthen the foundation of the Islamic Republic’s army for years to come,” Larijani writes in his X post.
He further writes, “I beseech the Almighty God for the highest ranks for these dear martyrs.”
At least 87 members of the Iranian Navy were killed after a US submarine destroyed their warship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka on March 4. The bodies of the slain personnel have since been handed over to Iran, which is now conducting funeral ceremonies.
Iran has not commented on Israel’s claims. However, the handwritten note shared on Larijani’s X handle is being seen as a possible rebuttal to reports of his death.
Who was Ali Larijani?
Following the assassination of former Supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the state of Iran has ‘vowed’ to strike back ‘even harder’ against American and Israeli forces who have instigated the larger war that has now effectively taken over the middle east.
Leading the charge and claims of making an even more menacing attack against the US and Israel is senior Iranian officer and leader Ali Larijani. In his first statement to Iranian media after Khamenei’s death, Larijani warned of a “far more crushing response” against the United States and Israel following what Iranian media described as the martyrdom of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
“They stabbed the heart of the nation, their heart will be stabbed too,” Larijani said in remarks to state media.
The United States and Israel launched a major military strike on Iran on Saturday, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior military officials, according to Iranian state media.
In the absence of Khamenei, Iran on Sunday formed a council to assume leadership duties and govern the country.
The council is made up of Iran’s sitting president, the head of the country’s judiciary, and a member of the Guardian Council chosen by Iran’s Expediency Council, which advises the supreme leader and settles disputes with parliament.
Iran’s reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian and hardline judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei are its members who will step in and “temporarily assume all the duties of leadership.
Hours before Tehran confirmed Khamenei’s death, US President Donald Trump called on Iranians to “seize control of your destiny” and described the developments as “the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their country.”
However, contrary to the expectations of many MAGA supporters in the west, the killing of Iran’s top leadership might not automatically translate into regime change in the Islamic Republic, which has been ruled by clerical authorities since the 1979 Revolution as per Reuters.
Who is Larijani ?
Veteran Iranian politician Ali Larijani, who said on Sunday a temporary leadership council would be set up after an air strike killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reemerged last year as one of the most powerful figures in the security hierarchy.
A former parliamentary speaker and long-time adviser to Khamenei, has re-emerged as one of the most influential figures in Iran’s security re-establishment amid ongoing war based crisis.
He currently serves as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), a body that shapes Iran’s defence and nuclear strategy.
A member of a powerful clerical family, Larijani has handled a broad portfolio — from nuclear negotiations with the US to managing ties with Russia and China.
He travelled to Oman last month to prepare for indirect nuclear talks with Washington, even as the US expanded its military presence in the region, Reuters reported.
In his latest remarks on Sunday, Larijani accused the United States and Israel of trying to plunder and disintegrate Iran and warned “secessionist groups” of a harsh response if they attempted any action.
Khamenei Adviser on Public Policy Ali Larijani hails from one of Iran’s most famous political families. A former parliamentary speaker and senior policy adviser, he was appointed to advise Khamenei on strategy in nuclear talks with the Trump administration.
Larijani on Nuclear talks and US sanctions
In his previous interviews to the Oman state TV conducted last month, Larijani has publicly described the nuclear issue as “resolvable” and stated that concerns about Iran developing nuclear weapons “can be addressed.”
Following Iran’s official response, Larijani maintains that the country is looking to develop nuclear power for peaceful purposes. Larijani has defended Iran’s right to enrich uranium and once likened Western proposals to curb Iran’s nuclear programme to “exchanging a pearl for a candy bar.”
Iran maintains its nuclear programme is peaceful, while the US and Israel say Tehran seeks to develop nuclear weapons.
Larijani was recebntly sanctioned by Washington in January. The US administration accused he US administration of being the first Iranian leaders to direct a violent crackdown on anti-government protests.
A US Treasury statement alleged Larijani had called for force against demonstrators. Rights groups say thousands were killed in the unrest — the worst since the early years of the Islamic Republic.
Moscow, Beijing and regional ties
In recent months, Larijani has held meetings in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin, reinforcing Iran’s strategic partnership with Russia. He was also involved in advancing Iran’s 25-year cooperation agreement with China signed in 2021.
Born in Najaf, Iraq, in 1958, Larijani holds a PhD in philosophy and has served in multiple senior roles, including as parliament speaker from 2008 to 2020.
What next?
While the elimination of Khamenei marks a historic turning point, analysts cited by Reuters caution that Iran’s power structure — rooted in clerical networks, the Revolutionary Guards, and security institutions — remains intact.
Whether this moment leads to internal upheaval or consolidation under a new leadership council remains uncertain.
(With inputs from Reuters and AP)