Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Tuesday that the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, was "eliminated" on Monday evening, UNN reports, citing CNN.
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"The Prime Minister and I have instructed the Israel Defense Forces to continue the search for the leadership of the terrorist and repressive regime in Iran," the Israeli Ministry of Defense quoted Katz as saying.
Later, the Iranian state news agency Tasnim published a handwritten message from Larijani on its Telegram channel, expressing sorrow for the fallen naval servicemen. The letter is dated March 17.
At the same time, the Israeli military stated that the head of the Iranian paramilitary formation "Basij" was eliminated in a targeted strike on Monday.
"Yesterday (Monday), the Israeli Air Force, acting on intelligence from the Israel Defense Forces, struck and eliminated Gholamreza Soleimani, who had commanded the 'Basij' unit for the past six years," the IDF statement said.
The Israel Defense Forces stated that the killing of Gholamreza Soleimani "is another significant blow to the regime's security command and control structures."
The IDF did not specify where he was killed.
An Israeli source familiar with the situation told CNN that other high-ranking leaders of the "Basij" forces were also eliminated.
Soleimani, it is noted, was appointed head of the "Basij" by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in July 2019. During his tenure, the "Basij" played a significant role in suppressing anti-government protests, including the 2019 demonstrations. Due to his alleged involvement in these repressions, Soleimani was sanctioned by the US, EU, UK, and other countries. The "Basij" is a volunteer militia within Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that provides internal security, suppresses dissent, and mobilizes the civilian population in support of the regime. Iran has not yet confirmed Soleimani's alleged assassination.
Ali Larijani, the head of Iran's National Security Council, has become one of the most important figures in Iran in recent months, according to CNN. He was initially considered a significant leader in suppressing popular protests in January, and then part of the transition period after the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The 67-year-old Larijani has long been associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and has become a prominent symbol of the regime. After last year's conflict with Israel, he returned to his position as head of the National Security Council, which many analysts consider the decision-maker in Iran.
Israel attacked the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani17.03.26, 11:53