Israelโs Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that Iranโs security chief Ali Larijani had been killed, according to Reuters, though there has been no confirmation from Tehran.
โLarijani and the Basij commander were eliminated overnight and joined the head of the annihilation programme, Khamenei, and all the eliminated members of the axis of evil, in the depths of hell,โ Katz said, as cited by his office.
Reports of Larijaniโs alleged death had earlier surfaced in Israeli media. However, later in the day, a post appeared on his social media account paying tribute to the โmartyrsโ of the Islamic Republic.
โOn the occasion of the funeral ceremony for the valiant martyrs of the Islamic Republic of Iranโs Navy: Their memory will forever remain in the heart of the Iranian nation, and these martyrdoms will strengthen the foundation of the Islamic Republicโs Army for years to come within the structure of the armed forces. I beseech the Almighty God for the highest ranks for these dear martyrs,โ the post read. It did not clarify whether Larijani is dead or alive.
According to the Israeli military, Larijani was among the targets of strikes carried out across Iran on Monday night, Reuters reported, citing Israeli officials.
Why Ali Larijani is an important figure in the conflict
If confirmed, his death would mark one of the most high-profile losses for Iran in the ongoing conflict, following the reported killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28. Larijani was last seen on Friday in Tehran during Quds Day rallies. On the same day, the United States announced a reward of up to USD 10 million for information on 10 Iranian intelligence and military officials, including Larijani and others linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Ali Larijani is widely regarded as Iranโs de facto leader, with longstanding ties to the clerical establishment, including through his marriage into the family of a senior religious figure before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, according to the Washington-based think tank Arab Gulf States Institute.
Last week, Larijani said Iran would not halt its attacks on US bases in Gulf countries until Donald Trump issued an apology.
Also read:ย Iran security chief Ali Larijani and top commander Gholamreza Soleimani killed, claims Israel