Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike, had opposed the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his slain father as supreme leader, on the grounds that hereditary rule is inconsistent with the principles of the Islamic Republic, according to a Bloomberg report.ย
Larijani, a veteran politician who helped lead Iran’s wartime efforts against the US and Israel, was killed alongside his son, according to a statement released by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council on Tuesday and published by state media.
As secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Larijani was at the core of Iran’s strategic decision-making system, said Ali Alfoneh, a senior fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute. He added that Larijani functioned primarily as a coordinator, gathering proposals from across the security establishment, presenting options to the leadership council, and overseeing the implementation of decisions.
Israel kills two senior Iranian security officials
Israel killed two senior Iranian security officials in a major blow to the Islamic Republic’s leadership as it faces its greatest test in decades.
Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, was considered one of the most powerful figures in the country since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an airstrike on the first day of the war.ย
Iran confirmed the killings of both men, who were key to Iran’s violent crackdown on protests in January that challenged the theocracy’s 47-year rule.ย ย “After a lifetime of struggle for the advancement of Iran and of the Islamic Revolution, he ultimately attained his long-held aspiration, answered the divine call, and honourably achieved the sweet grace of martyrdom in the trench of service,” Iran’s Supreme National Security Council announced.
Who wasย Ali Larijani?
Larijani, a former parliamentary speaker, was a senior policy adviser to the late Khamenei on strategy in nuclear talks with the Trump administration. He was sanctioned by the US Treasury in January for his role “coordinating” Iran’s violent suppression of nationwide protests.
Born into one of Iran’s most prominent political families, often compared to the Kennedys in the United States, Larijani held several key positions throughout his career. His brother Sadeq Larijani served as the head of Iran’s judiciary, while another brother, Mohammad Javad Larijani, played a major advisory role in foreign affairs.
Larijani himself served as Iran’s culture minister in the 1990s, where he enforced stricter censorship policies. He later became Speaker of Parliament from 2008 to 2020 and most recently headed the Supreme National Security Council. In addition to politics, he was also an author who wrote extensively on philosophy, including works on the German thinker Immanuel Kant.
Despite not being eligible to become Supreme Leader due to not being a Shiite cleric, Larijani was expected to remain a key power centre. Many observers believed he was effectively managing state affairs as Iran’s leadership operated under intense pressure and security threats.
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