Iran mourns deaths of security chief Ali Larijani amid Middle East conflict
On Tuesday (17 March), Iran’s Security Chief, Ali Larijani, and the commander of the Basij militia, Gholamreza Soleimani, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran.
The attack also claimed the life of Morteza Larijani, the special assistant and son of Ali Larijani, as confirmed by Iran’s state media hours after the assassination.
Airstrike confirmed by both Israeli and Iranian sources
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced the deaths of the Iranian officials on X (formerly Twitter) shortly before the Iranian government’s confirmation.
Source: IDF
In a statement issued by Mehr News, the Supreme National Security Council of Iran confirmed the news.
“After a lifetime of striving for the elevation of Iran and the Islamic Revolution, he finally reached his long-cherished wish, answered the call of truth, and proudly attained the blessed rank of martyrdom,” the statement read.
Ali Larijani’s death marks the highest-ranking Iranian official to be killed since the assassination of the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on 28 Feb.
The security chief had last been seen on 13 Feb at an Al-Quds rally in Tehran, where he advocated for Palestinian rights alongside Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Israel takes responsibility for killing
The Israeli government had first announced the officials’ deaths before Iran’s confirmation.
Israeli officials alleged that Larijani had been involved in “terror attacks across the region” and that his killing was part of an ongoing campaign to eliminate threats to Israel’s security.
Source: IDF on X
According to Al-Jazeera, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared in a televised statement that the “elimination” of Mr Larijani was aimed at providing Iranians with a “chance to overthrow their government”.
“We will give them a chance to take their own fate into their own hands,” Mr Netanyahu stated.
Larijani urged continued fight
Just one day before his death (16 March), Mr Larijani reiterated his stance that the country will not back down against the US and Israel.
In his message, he called for global Muslim unity and criticised certain Islamic governments for not responding to calls for solidarity.
Source: Axios
Mr Larijani’s message also defended Iranian attacks as retaliation against US-Israeli aggression, which Gulf countries described as “blatant aggression against their sovereignty”.
“Which side are you on?” he challenged those who questioned his stance.
Despite the violence, Mr Larijani stressed that Iran did not seek domination over its neighbours.
“The unity of the Islamic nation, if realised with full strength, is capable of guaranteeing security, progress, and independence for all its states.”
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Featured images adapted from IDF.
