Lead
Israel announced on Tuesday night that its air force struck near Tehran, killing Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani. Iranian state media and authorities later confirmed both deaths amid heavy bombardment across the capital. Israeli officials said the strikes followed the earlier assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on 28 February, which they say sparked a wider regional war. The developments come as missile and drone exchanges have disrupted Gulf oil exports and heightened fears of broader escalation.
Key takeaways
- Israel reported a “precise strike” near Tehran on Monday night that it says killed Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani.
- Iranian state media and authorities confirmed the deaths of both men; Larijani was a close associate of the late Supreme Leader Khamenei.
- Khamenei was killed on 28 February during initial Israeli and US strikes that have since expanded into a region-wide conflict.
- Iran says more than 1,300 people have died in Israeli and US strikes inside Iran since the war began, including 226 women and 204 children.
- Human rights groups report at least 6,508 protesters killed and about 53,000 arrested during internal unrest that Basij forces helped suppress.
- In Israel, authorities report 12 fatalities from Iranian missile attacks; UAE reported one civilian death from intercepted debris in Abu Dhabi.
- Oil flows and loading at key Gulf terminals have been disrupted after repeated Iranian drone and missile attacks.
Background
On 28 February, Israel and the United States launched strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, an event Israeli officials say triggered a broader war across the Middle East. Since then, Iran has responded with missile and drone barrages targeting Israel and countries hosting US facilities, while Israel and the US have continued strikes on Iranian soil. The conflict has fed into existing regional tensions, drawing in proxy forces and affecting commercial shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Basij is a volunteer militia estimated at around one million members and operates under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It is frequently deployed to suppress domestic dissent; during the protests that swept Iran in December and January, rights groups say Basij units led many of the crackdowns. Ali Larijani, a former IRGC officer and long-serving public figure, had been appointed secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) last August and was described as Khamenei’s representative on that council.
Main event
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its air force conducted a “precise strike” near Tehran on Monday night that killed Ali Larijani. Defence Minister Israel Katz publicly stated the two senior figures were “eliminated” in the operation, framing the action as part of Israel’s campaign against Iran’s leadership and security apparatus. Iranian state television later confirmed the deaths and published what it said were handwritten notes from the slain men, though the timing of those notes was not verified.
Larijani rose through Iran’s institutions over decades: he led state broadcaster IRIB for ten years, served as Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator for two years, and was speaker of parliament from 2008 to 2020. After Khamenei’s death, Iranian reporting said Larijani had consolidated de-facto leadership responsibility and coordinated combat efforts against Israel and allied states. Gholamreza Soleimani commanded the Basij, the militia credited by officials and analysts with major roles in internal security operations.
Tehran experienced heavy bombardment overnight with reports of multiple strikes and visible damage at several checkpoints that the IDF later said were Basij positions. Local Iranian media had already reported casualties from earlier strikes on checkpoints in the capital. Communications within Iran remain constrained by an internet shutdown imposed by authorities, complicating independent verification and first-hand reporting from inside Tehran.
Analysis & implications
The killing of Larijani removes one of Iran’s most senior security figures and could further disrupt Iran’s command-and-control of both external operations and internal security arrangements. If Larijani had been coordinating a survival plan for the regime after Khamenei’s death, as some Iranian reports suggest, his loss may create a leadership void and accelerate internal jockeying for authority. The reported absence from public view of Mojtaba Khamenei — named as successor after his father’s death — adds to uncertainty about succession and cohesion within Iran’s governing elite.
Regionally, the strike is likely to harden Iran’s posture and sustain or intensify the cycle of retaliatory strikes and counterstrikes. Attacks on infrastructure and shipping in the Gulf have already raised insurance and freight costs and led to temporary halts at ports such as Fujairah. Continued disruption to exports through the Strait of Hormuz could keep oil prices elevated and add economic pressure on Gulf producers and global markets.
Domestically in Iran, the death of a senior official linked to the suppression of protests may have mixed effects. Some opponents of the regime welcomed the news in private messages to BBC Persian, but hardline security structures like the IRGC and Basij retain institutional depth and the capacity to enforce order. The scale of prior repression — thousands killed and tens of thousands arrested during recent unrest — suggests that security forces remain able to mount large-scale operations despite leadership losses.
Comparison & data
| Category | Reported figure | Source (reported in media) |
|---|---|---|
| People killed in Israeli/US strikes in Iran since war began | More than 1,300 (including 226 women, 204 children) | Iranian government (as reported) |
| Protesters killed during Dec–Jan unrest | At least 6,508 | Human rights activists (as reported) |
| People killed in Israel by Iranian missile attacks | 12 | Israeli authorities (as reported) |
The table above summarizes the principal publicly reported casualty figures cited by Iranian authorities, human rights groups and Israeli officials. Numbers in conflict zones are often contested and may be revised; independent verification inside Iran is currently limited by communication blackouts. Still, the data indicate both significant internal repression related to protests and rising cross-border fatalities since the conflict expanded in late February.
Reactions & quotes
Israeli officials framed the operation as part of an effort to degrade Iran’s capacity and influence. Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a strongly worded statement linking the operation to earlier actions against Iran’s leadership and describing those targeted as central to an “annihilation programme.” He presented the strike as a direct response to threats posed by Iran’s security apparatus.
“Larijani and the Basij commander were eliminated last night and have joined Khamenei, the head of the annihilation programme, along with all those eliminated from the Axis of Evil in the depths of hell.”
Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz (statement)
Following Katz’s remarks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed the campaign as aimed at weakening Iran’s regime and creating conditions for internal change. Netanyahu linked the strikes to a broader diplomatic and military strategy seeking to reduce what Israeli officials describe as Tehran’s capacity to threaten Israel and regional partners.
“We are undermining this regime in the hope of giving the Iranian people an opportunity to remove it.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (statement)
Iranian state television broadcast notes and statements attributed to the slain commanders and confirmed the deaths later in the day. Domestic reactions varied: some Iranians contacted by Persian-language outlets expressed approval of the reported removals, while state institutions signalled plans for public mourning and ceremonies for personnel killed earlier at sea.
Unconfirmed
- Reports that Mojtaba Khamenei was seriously injured in the strike that killed his father have appeared in media but remain unverified by independent sources.
- The exact timestamps and authorship of handwritten notes posted on Larijani’s social accounts are unclear; state media described them as written on Tuesday but did not provide verifiable metadata.
- Attribution of specific checkpoint strikes to Basij versus other security units is asserted by the IDF and local media but cannot be independently confirmed because of restricted access and communications limits inside Iran.
Bottom line
The reported killing of Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani marks a significant escalation in a conflict that has already reshaped regional security since late February. Their deaths remove senior figures linked to both external operations and internal repression, but institutional depth in Iran’s security apparatus suggests continuity of capability despite leadership losses. For regional actors and global markets, the strike underlines the high risk of further military exchanges and continued disruption to oil exports through the Gulf.
Over the coming days, independent verification and clear chain-of-command signals from Tehran will be key indicators of how Iran adapts. If succession remains opaque or contested, the regime could either accelerate retaliatory operations or tighten domestic controls. International actors will be watching for moves that could widen the war or produce openings for de-escalation.
Sources
- BBC News (international news outlet reporting the events)
- Israel Defence Forces (official statements and releases)
- Iran Human Rights (human rights monitoring organisation)
- IRIB / Iranian state media (state broadcaster reporting official confirmations)