Israel Kills Iran’s Top Security Chief Ali Larijani

Israel killed Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in an overnight airstrike on Tuesday. Iran confirmed the death alongside that of his son Morteza Larijani, his chief of staff Alireza Bayat, and several guards. The same strikes killed General Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force. Iran responded with a missile barrage that killed two people near Tel Aviv while Gulf nations intercepted additional rockets and drones targeting US bases in the region.

Iranian army chief Amir Hatami called the retaliation decisive and promised consequences. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that the global repercussions of the war had only just begun.

Who Larijani Was

Larijani was 67 and among the most experienced figures in the Islamic Republic’s entire history. He served as head of state broadcasting, chief nuclear negotiator, and speaker of parliament for twelve years between 2008 and 2020. He returned to the center of power last August when he was appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, the body that links Iran’s military and intelligence apparatus to its civilian administration.

One week before his death he warned President Trump publicly that the Iranian people did not fear empty threats and that those greater than Trump had failed to erase them. His last public appearance was Friday at an al-Quds Day demonstration in Tehran, walking through crowds in the middle of an active war.

Why His Death Matters

Analysts describe Larijani’s loss as potentially more significant than the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the war’s outset, though for different reasons. Khamenei’s death removed a symbol. Larijani’s death removes a function that few others in Iran’s current leadership can replicate.

He was one of the only figures remaining who understood how to manage both the escalation of a war and the conditions required to end one. He maintained external communication channels while remaining fully trusted by the security establishment. He understood where escalation needed to stop. Without him that capability inside Tehran shrinks considerably.

The US had placed Larijani on a list of ten senior Iranian leaders it was offering up to $10 million for information on. The Trump administration said earlier this month that operations against Iran had killed 49 of the most senior Iranian regime leaders. Larijani’s death also effectively ends any possibility he could have played a transitional role in post-war negotiations, a function analysts had identified as his most valuable potential contribution to any eventual settlement.

Iran will hold funerals Wednesday for both Larijani and Soleimani.