Israel's defence minister says his forces killed Iran's security chief Ali Larijani in an overnight airstrike, but Iranian media outlets are giving conflicting accounts and Tehran hasn't officially confirmed anything.
Israeli Minister's Claim
Defence Minister Israel Katz announced on Tuesday that Israeli forces had "eliminated" Ali Larijani, along with a Basij commander, in an airstrike. Katz's statement, reported by Reuters, dramatically escalated the ongoing tensions in the region. He declared that Larijani and the Basij commander had "joined Khamenei, the head of the annihilation program, along with all those eliminated from the axis of evil in the depths of hell."
An Israeli official said the strike was originally scheduled for the night before but got delayed. New intelligence received on Monday afternoon reportedly pinpointed one of several apartments Larijani used as a hideout. He was allegedly with his son when the strike was carried out. When initial reports of the attack circulated, another senior Israeli official stated there was "no chance he survived this attack."
But there's no independent verification of this claim yet. Some Iranian media outlets have suggested Larijani is alive and will soon publish a message.
As of yet, Iran hasn't issued any official statement on the matter, leaving his fate unclear amid the intense regional conflict.
The Profile of Ali Larijani
Ali Larijani rose through Iran's political ranks after the Islamic Revolution to become a major player in the establishment. He studied in Tehran, then worked his way up through various government roles including culture minister and head of state broadcasting.
He spent years as Speaker of Parliament, which solidified his power in Iranian politics.
Early on, Larijani had a reputation as a pragmatist in Iran's government. That pragmatist image stuck with him when he was chief nuclear negotiator and helped shape how Iran dealt with world powers. He helped negotiate the 2015 nuclear deal, which was supposed to limit Iran's nuclear program in return for lifting sanctions.
But his image shifted after Khamenei and other top figures were killed. Hours after US and Israeli strikes killed Khamenei, Larijani delivered a defiant message, vowing that Iran would make its enemies "regret" their actions and promising a forceful response. Larijani was close to Khamenei, and when US-Israeli airstrikes killed him on day one of the war, it changed everything.
Wider Regional Implications
The reported strike on Larijani is part of a wider escalation of fighting across the Middle East. Early Tuesday, the UAE's Defence Ministry said it was dealing with incoming missiles and drones from Iran. The UAE says Iran has fired over 1,600 drones and 300 missiles since the war started, supposedly aimed at US targets in the Gulf.
Pakistan's embassy in Abu Dhabi confirmed a Pakistani was killed by debris when a missile was shot down. That's the third Pakistani killed in the UAE since the war started, showing how civilians are getting caught in the crossfire.
The conflict's getting different reactions from world leaders. Finland's President Alexander Stubb told BBC Newsnight he backs UK PM Keir Starmer against Trump's criticism. Trump had expressed dissatisfaction with the UK after Sir Keir stated Britain wouldn't be drawn into a "wider war" over Iran. Stubb praised Sir Keir's capacity "to stay calm," noting that many international leaders experience both "good days and bad days" with Trump. He also suggested a preference for "peace mediation rather than an escalation of the situation," citing Finland's own 1,340 km border with Russia as a reason for not having much to contribute to a broader military intervention.
Uncertainty Amidst Escalation
If Larijani is actually dead, it'd be a major development—he had his fingers in Iran's politics and security. He mattered because he'd negotiated with the West and was now talking tough.
But without official word from Tehran and with conflicting reports from Iranian media, it's hard to know what's really happened. The region's still tense, missiles and drones keep flying, and world leaders are trying to figure out what happens next.
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Reuters is reporting what the Israeli Defence Minister said, but nobody's been able to independently verify it yet, and everyone's waiting for Iran to say something about whether Larijani's actually dead.
This article was created with AI assistance.
