A profile photo of Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, published by the IDF Spokesperson’s Office.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on March 17 that the Jewish state “eliminated” Ali Larijani, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and speculated to be the regime’s current “de facto” leader, and Gholamreza Soleimani, the commander of the Basij paramilitary, in an overnight airstrike. The eliminations mark a significant milestone in the American and Israeli campaign against Iran’s command structure and internal security apparatus.
“Larijani and the Basij commander were eliminated last night and have joined Khamenei, the head of the annihilation program, along with all those eliminated from the axis of evil, in the depths of hell,” Katz stated.
Israeli intelligence identified Larijani’s location in an apartment in Tehran, Israel’s Channel 12 News reported. After the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Military Intelligence Directorate confirmed his identity, the attack was approved, and the building was struck.
The apartment was not Larijani’s permanent residence, but rather one of several prepared safe houses intended for emergency escape. Israeli Air Force fighter jets operating over Tehran struck the location with 20 one-ton bombs, destroying the building and killing Larijani, Channel 12 reported.
Larijani was a longtime pillar of Iran’s political and security establishment, holding some of the Islamic Republic’s most influential posts over the past four decades. A former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander, Larijani went on to serve as head of state broadcasting, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and chief nuclear negotiator before becoming speaker of parliament for 12 years. After leaving parliament, he remained a key insider as a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, shaping policy on strategic and regional issues, and was reappointed as the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council in 2025. The United States sanctioned Larijani in 2026 for his role in violently suppressing protests in Iran.
In a separate military operation the same night, Israel also targeted Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani, along with senior members of the paramilitary force. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that Soleimani and other Basij officials were targeted while gathered at a recently established tent encampment near the capital, set up after Israeli strikes over the past two weeks destroyed many of the force’s headquarters.
The Basij, a paramilitary force affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that is used to suppress dissent, had recently expanded its presence in Iran by establishing checkpoints in the streets amid fears of unrest. It played a role in the brutal crackdown of Iranian protestors during the mass uprising against the government in December and January. Soleimani had commanded the force for the past six years.
Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency confirmed the death of Larijani and those with him, saying that he achieved “martyrdom” along with his son Morteza, Alireza Bayat, deputy secretary for security affairs, and a group of bodyguards. Fars News also confirmed the killing of Soleimani, describing it as a “terrorist attack by the American-Zionist enemy.”