Larijani: Israel claims Iran security chief Ali Larijani has been killed amid blasts in Tehran and beyond
larijani is at the center of escalating claims and unanswered questions after Israel’s defense minister said this morning (ET) that Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani has been killed. Over the past hours (ET), residents in Tehran have been hearing massive explosions, with attacks described as extending beyond the capital to other cities including Ahvaz, Isfahan, and Shiraz. Iran did not immediately confirm the claim, and no public evidence was presented alongside Israel’s announcement.
What Israel is claiming this morning (ET)
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly stated that Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani has been killed. The same time period has been marked by reports of strikes hitting multiple locations in Tehran, including what were described as important buildings across the capital.
Israel also claims it carried out a separate strike killing Gholamreza Soleimani, described as the commander of the IRGC’s Basij force. Israeli statements described Soleimani as leading a Basij militia tied to suppressing protests in Iran, and said he was killed in an air strike “yesterday” (ET). Iran has not confirmed this claim either.
Immediate reactions: confirmations absent, evidence not public
Iran offered no immediate response to Israel’s statement on Ali Larijani’s killing as of this morning (ET). Tehran also did not immediately confirm Israel’s claim regarding Gholamreza Soleimani.
Israel’s side, through Defense Minister Israel Katz, delivered the killing claim publicly (ET), but did not present public evidence alongside the statement.
In a separate development, air defense systems intercepted multiple drones near the U. S. embassy in Baghdad (ET timeframe not specified beyond “today”). It was not immediately clear whether the facility sustained damage.
Who Ali Larijani is inside Iran’s leadership
Ali Larijani is described as a longstanding, measured, pragmatic figure within Iran’s establishment. He has served as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and previously held senior roles including culture minister and the head of state broadcaster IRIB. He was also Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator after becoming secretary of the Supreme National Security Council in 2005, later stepping down in 2007.
Larijani entered parliament in 2008 and served as parliament speaker for three consecutive terms, playing a key role in securing approval for the 2015 nuclear deal. He returned to the post of security council secretary in August 2025, described as re-emerging as a central figure in Iran’s leadership.
In the context of the current war, Ali Larijani was characterized as the highest-ranking Iranian official Israel says it has killed after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death at the very start of the conflict. The same account described Larijani as viewed by some as a de facto ruler in the wake of Khamenei’s death, while new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has made no public appearances.
Quick context on the strikes and the wider conflict
Reports described the sounds of massive explosions in different parts of Tehran over the past hours (ET), alongside attacks not limited to the capital, with Ahvaz, Isfahan, and Shiraz also cited. The broader picture presented is one in which Iran’s political establishment is convinced about continuing retaliatory strikes as long as American and Israeli air strikes continue.
What’s next
The immediate next signal to watch (ET) is whether Iranian authorities publicly confirm or deny Israel’s claim about Ali Larijani, and whether any official details emerge about the reported strikes across Tehran and other cities. In parallel, attention is likely to remain on the Baghdad incident after drones were intercepted near the U. S. embassy, as the region gauges whether new attacks or official statements intensify the conflict further.
For now, larijani remains the focal point of Israel’s latest high-level killing claim, with Iran’s position still not publicly stated and no public evidence released alongside the announcement.
