{"id":344076,"date":"2026-03-17T16:42:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T16:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/344076\/"},"modified":"2026-03-17T16:42:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T16:42:10","slug":"israel-says-it-has-killed-two-top-iranian-security-officials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/344076\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel says it has killed two top Iranian security officials"},"content":{"rendered":"

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) \u2014 Israel said Tuesday it killed two senior Iranian security officials<\/a> in overnight strikes in a major blow to the country\u2019s leadership. Iran, which did not immediately confirm either death, fired new salvos of missiles and drones at its Gulf Arab neighbors and Israel in a war that showed no signs of abating<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran\u2019s Supreme National Security Council, and Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard\u2019s all-volunteer Basij force, were \u201celiminated last night,\u201d Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said. Larijani was considered one of the most powerful figures in the country since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei<\/a> was killed in an airstrike on the first day of the war<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Ali<\/p>\n

\n Ali Larijani, center, head of Iran’s National Security Council, gestures as Hezbollah supporters throw rice to welcome him outside Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (AP Photo\/Bilal Hussein, File)\n <\/p>\n

Ali Larijani, center, head of Iran’s National Security Council, gestures as Hezbollah supporters throw rice to welcome him outside Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (AP Photo\/Bilal Hussein, File)<\/p>\n

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\"Commander<\/p>\n

\n Commander of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force, Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, gives a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Nov. 18, 2019. (AP Photo\/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)\n <\/p>\n

Commander of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force, Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, gives a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Nov. 18, 2019. (AP Photo\/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)<\/p>\n

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Both men were key to Iran\u2019s violent crackdown on protests in January<\/a> that challenged the theocracy\u2019s 47-year rule. The killings would strip Iran of important leaders during a war that presents that greatest test for the Islamic Republic in recent decades.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

With concerns growing about a global energy crisis<\/a>, Iran launched fresh attacks against several of its Gulf Arab neighbors and oil infrastructure throughout the region. Dubai, a major transit hub for international travel, briefly shut its airspace, the second disruption to flights in the city in as many days. An Iranian official said Tehran had no intention of relinquishing its tight grip on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for oil.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Fire<\/p>\n

Fire and plumes of smoke rise after a drone struck a fuel tank forcing the temporary suspension of flights. near Dubai International Airport, in United Arab Emirates, early Monday, March 16, 2026. (AP Photo)<\/p>\n

Fire and plumes of smoke rise after a drone struck a fuel tank forcing the temporary suspension of flights. near Dubai International Airport, in United Arab Emirates, early Monday, March 16, 2026. (AP Photo)<\/p>\n

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On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said NATO and most other allies have rejected his calls to help secure the strait as the war rages on. <\/p>\n

The Israeli military said it had begun a \u201cwide-scale wave of strikes\u201d across Iran\u2019s capital and was stepping up strikes on Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.<\/p>\n

Israel says it has killed two top Iranian officials<\/p>\n

Larijani hails from one of Iran\u2019s best-known political families. A former parliamentary speaker and senior policy adviser, he advised the late Khamenei on strategy in nuclear talks with the Trump administration. <\/p>\n

Larijani was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in January for his role in \u201ccoordinating\u201d Iran\u2019s violent suppression nationwide protests<\/a>. Soleimani was sanctioned by the U.S., as well as by the European Union and other nations, over his role in helping suppress dissent for years through the Basij.<\/p>\n

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the killings were aimed at weakening Iran\u2019s government. \u201cWe are undermining this regime to give the Iranian people the opportunity to remove it. It won\u2019t happen quickly or easily, but if we persist, they will have the chance to take their destiny into their own hands,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

There have been no signs of anti-government protests since the war began, as many Iranians are sheltering from the American and Israeli strikes.<\/p>\n

The reported killings of Larijani and Soleimani came on the eve of \u201cChaharshanbe Souri,\u201d or the Festival of Fire, in Iran on Tuesday night and shortly before the Persian new year.<\/p>\n

State media aired footage Tuesday of pro-government demonstrations, including images of some men in plainclothes branding assault rifles and shotguns on the back of motorcycles \u2014 a sign of the government wanting to prevent renewed protests against the theocracy.<\/p>\n

Iranian strikes pressure neighbors and oil markets<\/p>\n

Iran kept up the pressure on its neighbors and energy infrastructure around the region, hitting an oil facility in Fujairah, an emirate in the United Arab Emirates that has been repeatedly targeted. <\/p>\n

A man was killed by the debris of a missile intercepted over Abu Dhabi, the eighth person to die in the UAE since the start of the war, authorities said.<\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted drones, while air defenses could be heard targeting incoming fire over Qatar\u2019s capital, Doha. Attacks from Iran-linked proxy forces continued in Iraq, where the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was hit with shrapnel from intercepted drones.<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s attacks on Gulf nations and its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world\u2019s oil is transported, have sparked increasing concerns of a global energy crisis and are unnerving the world economy<\/a>. <\/p>\n

A handful of ships have crossed through the strait, and Iran has said the waterway technically remains open \u2014 just not for the United States, Israel and their allies. About 20 vessels have been struck since the war began.<\/p>\n

With oil prices rising, Trump said he had demanded<\/a> that roughly a half-dozen countries send warships to ensure ships can pass through the strait. But his appeals brought no immediate commitments, with many saying they are hesitant to get involved<\/a> in a war with no defined exit plan.<\/p>\n

Trump fumed Tuesday that the U.S. is not getting support \u201cdespite the fact that almost every country strongly agreed with what we are doing, and that Iran cannot\u201d be allowed to secure a nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n

French President Emmanuel Macron earlier reaffirmed that France is ready to help secure the strait, but only after heavy bombing has stopped and as part of a mission separate from the ongoing conflict.<\/p>\n

Israel launches new attacks on Tehran and steps up strikes on Beirut<\/p>\n

The Israeli military early Tuesday said it had launched new attacks across Tehran and targeted Hezbollah militants in the Lebanese capital. Hezbollah began firing rockets into the northern Israel after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran last month.<\/p>\n

In Iran, it said it hit command centers, missile launch sites and air defense systems. There was no immediate confirmation from Iran, where little information has been coming out due to internet outages, round-the-clock airstrikes and tight restrictions on journalists.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Volunteers<\/p>\n

Volunteers clean debris from a residential building damaged when a nearby police station was hit Friday in a U.S.-Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo\/Vahid Salemi)<\/p>\n

Volunteers clean debris from a residential building damaged when a nearby police station was hit Friday in a U.S.-Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo\/Vahid Salemi)<\/p>\n

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More than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran since the start of the conflict, according to the Iranian Red Crescent.<\/p>\n

Israel did not immediately release details of its attacks on Lebanon, but the Lebanese army said that one of its soldiers died and four more were wounded in an airstrike on the village of Kfar Sir. Two more soldiers were killed in another Israeli strike near the southern city of Nabatiyeh, the army said, and an airstrike near Beirut\u2019s international airport killed one person and wounded nine, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s strikes have displaced more than 1 million Lebanese \u2014 or roughly 20% of the population \u2014 according to the Lebanese government, which says 912 people have been killed since the outbreak of a new Israel-Hezbollah war two weeks ago. <\/p>\n

Israel reported two Iranian salvos early Tuesday fired toward Tel Aviv and an area south of the Sea of Galilee, and then more later in the day. More launches from Lebanon were also reported.<\/p>\n

In Israel, 12 people have been killed by Iranian missile fire. At least 13 U.S. military members have been killed.<\/p>\n

Top US counterterrorism official quits over Iran war<\/p>\n

A top U.S. counterterrorism official resigned<\/a> Tuesday, citing concerns about the justification for military strikes in Iran. Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, said he \u201ccannot in good conscience\u201d back the Trump administration\u2019s war.<\/p>\n

His resignation reflects unease about the war within Trump\u2019s political base just as midterm election races start to heat up. Trump\u2019s MAGA coalition is splintering over what it sees as the president\u2019s failure to keep his \u201cAmerica First\u201d campaign promise by leading the U.S. into a war that is driving up gas prices. <\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Rising reported from Bangkok, Corder from The Hague, Netherlands, and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad; and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) \u2014 Israel said Tuesday it killed two senior Iranian security officials in overnight…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":344077,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[105611,91926,2035,49,114,54,84880,99,122,85,87,20889,117780,46,1984,168217,2034,3896,8715,43,238,7319,121,12526,8012,126],"class_list":["post-344076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-israel","tag-ali-khamenei","tag-ali-larijani","tag-ap-top-news","tag-benjamin-netanyahu","tag-business","tag-donald-trump","tag-drone-surveillance-and-warfare","tag-emmanuel-macron","tag-general-news","tag-il","tag-iran","tag-iran-government","tag-iran-war","tag-israel","tag-israel-government","tag-joe-kent","tag-mideast-wars","tag-military-and-defense","tag-military-technology","tag-news","tag-politics","tag-religion","tag-war-and-unrest","tag-washington-news","tag-waterways","tag-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344076","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=344076"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344076\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/344077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=344076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=344076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=344076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}