Israel Says Top Iranian Leader Ali Larijani Killed in Airstrike

by | Mar 17, 2026 | News

Israel announced Tuesday that Ali Larijani, one of Iran’s most powerful political figures, was killed in an overnight Israeli airstrike in Tehran.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, Larijani had effectively become the “de facto leader” of Iran’s government following the death of Ali Khamenei earlier in the ongoing war between Israel, the United States, and Iran.

The military said Larijani was deeply involved in coordinating Iran’s political and military strategy against Israel and its regional allies.

In a separate strike, Israel said it also killed Gholamreza Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force, along with several senior officials.

The Basij is widely known for enforcing government control during protests and suppressing dissent within Iran.

Israeli officials accused Larijani of overseeing violent crackdowns against demonstrators during recent nationwide protests.

Iran has not confirmed the deaths but released a handwritten message attributed to Larijani shortly after the Israeli announcement. The note did not address the reports of his death.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strike was part of Israel’s strategy to weaken Iran’s leadership and destabilize the regime.

Defense Minister Israel Katz also celebrated the killings, saying key leaders of what he called the “axis of evil” were being eliminated.

Since the war began, Israel estimates that 4,000 to 5,000 Iranian soldiers and commanders have been killed in strikes.

The military also said it recently targeted senior leaders of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization who were hiding in Tehran.

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