Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday that Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, was killed in a targeted overnight strike in Tehran alongside Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani, marking one of the most senior blows yet to Iran's security apparatus during the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
Katz announced the development in a statement, saying: "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 (Soleimani), were eliminated last night." Iranian authorities had not publicly confirmed the deaths at the time of reporting.
The claim followed an earlier confirmation by the Israel Defense Forces that Soleimani had been killed in what it described as a precision strike in central Tehran. In a post on X, the IDF said: "In a precise strike in Tehran. IDF eliminates the commander of the Basij unit."
The statement added: "Guided by precise intelligence from Military Intelligence, the Air Force conducted a targeted strike yesterday in the heart of Tehran, eliminating Gholam Reza Soleimani, commander of the Basij unit over the past six years."
The reported killing of Larijani comes against the backdrop of a rapidly escalating regional war that intensified after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran's leadership in late February. Those operations included the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, an event that triggered widespread unrest across Iranian cities and reshaped the country's internal security posture.
Larijani, a veteran political figure and former parliament speaker, had only recently returned to a central security role under President Masoud Pezeshkian, signaling continuity within Iran's leadership during a period of instability. His portfolio placed him at the core of strategic decision-making, particularly in coordinating domestic security and military responses.
In his final public appearance, Larijani sought to defend the legitimacy of pro-regime demonstrations that had drawn skepticism abroad. In a post on X, he contrasted historical claims about staged rallies with contemporary criticism, framing the protests as authentic expressions of public sentiment.
Katz escalated his rhetoric in remarks accompanying the announcement, stating that "Larijani and the Basij commander were eliminated overnight and joined the head of the annihilation program, Khamenei, and all the eliminated members of the axis of evil, in the depths of hell."
The Basij militia, which Soleimani led since 2019, has long been central to Iran's internal security strategy. Operating through networks embedded in schools, workplaces and mosques, the force has been repeatedly deployed to suppress protests, including the 2019 fuel demonstrations and the 2022 unrest following the death of Mahsa Amini.
Soleimani previously underscored the group's role in defending the regime, declaring after earlier crackdowns that "the nation is ready to resist the enemy. The Basij is prepared to create the greatest and most glorious defense."
