Israel killed Ali Larijani, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council chief, in an overnight airstrike on Tehran, Iran confirmed Tuesday. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed his death alongside his son, Morteza, in a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Who Was Ali Larijani?
Born in Najaf in 1958, Larijani built a career at the center of Iranian state power over four decades. He served as deputy minister of labour before heading the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting from 1994 to 2004. In 2005, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appointed him secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, placing him in charge of Iran’s nuclear negotiations — a role that defined his international standing for years.
He ran for president multiple times but never won the office. His influence, however, far exceeded that of elected officials.
His Role in the Current War
When Israel and the United States killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28 — the opening day of the conflict — Larijani emerged as Iran’s most consequential operational leader. Though Khamenei’s son Mojtaba took the title of supreme leader, analysts widely regarded Larijani as the de facto head of the country’s war effort. He controlled the Supreme National Security Council, the body directing Iran’s military strategy.
In the 18 days since the war began, Larijani publicly refused negotiations with Washington, dismissed President Trump’s warnings as empty threats, and accused the US of fighting on Israel’s behalf. Hours before his death, he published a statement criticizing Gulf Arab states for aligning with the US and Israel.
The Strike and Its Significance
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Tuesday that Larijani had been “eliminated” alongside Basij paramilitary commander Gholamreza Soleimani in separate overnight strikes. Iran initially denied his death, releasing a handwritten letter attributed to Larijani before ultimately confirming the news.
His killing removes the most senior figure managing Iran’s wartime decision-making since Khamenei’s death. Power now falls to hardliners including parliamentary speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf and remaining IRGC commanders — a shift that analysts say reduces the likelihood of a negotiated ceasefire.
The strike deepens an already acute leadership crisis inside the Islamic Republic at a critical point in a conflict that has triggered Iranian attacks across the Persian Gulf and sent shockwaves through global energy markets.
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