Israeli Strikes Hit Iran’s Security Leadership As Ali Larijani Is Claimed Killed
Israel’s defense minister said Tuesday that ali larijani, Iran’s national security chief and a former nuclear negotiator, was killed in an Israeli strike, with no confirmation yet from Tehran.
What We Know About Ali Larijani’s Reported Death
Israel identified Larijani as among the targets of strikes carried out across Iran overnight. Iranian authorities had not commented by Tuesday, and the Iranian military had not confirmed his death. If verified, the death of ali larijani would mark the highest-ranking loss for Iran since the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war.
Larijani, a close ally of Khamenei and a former nuclear negotiator, was seen in Tehran on Friday taking part in Quds Day rallies. Later the same day, the United States announced a reward of up to $10 million for information on senior Iranian military and intelligence officials, listing Larijani among 10 figures linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Multiple Israeli media outlets also indicated that the latest wave of strikes targeted Gholamreza Soleimani, the head of the Basij Resistance Force, along with other senior Basij figures. The outcome of those specific strikes was still being assessed.
Embassy In Baghdad Targeted As Cross-Border Fire Intensifies
As claims over Larijani’s fate emerged, regionwide attacks showed no let-up. Rockets and at least five drones targeted the U. S. embassy in Baghdad early Tuesday in what Iraqi security officials described as the most intense assault since the war began. Two U. S. officials indicated there were no injuries reported so far.
Iran launched missiles on Israel overnight, underscoring that Tehran retains the capacity to conduct long-range strikes despite prolonged bombardment in recent weeks. In parallel, the Israeli military said it was targeting Iranian regime infrastructure with a new wave of strikes across Tehran, and also hit sites linked to Hizbullah in Beirut.
Israel has drawn up detailed plans for at least three more weeks of operations against Iran, signaling a sustained campaign as both sides continue to exchange fire across multiple fronts.
Regional Fallout And U. S. Positioning
Inside the United States, the debate over the conflict’s trajectory widened. The president had been warned that striking Iran could trigger retaliation against U. S. Gulf partners, despite his public claims on Monday that Tehran’s response was a surprise. Pre-war intelligence assessments did not characterize retaliation as a certainty, yet identified it among the plausible outcomes.
The president said he was surprised that Iranian retaliatory strikes hit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait. “They weren’t supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East, ” he said. “Nobody expected that. We were shocked. ”
Those remarks followed other assertions from the administration that were not backed by U. S. intelligence assessments, including claims about Iran’s missile reach to the U. S. homeland and a rapid pathway to a nuclear weapon. These arguments have figured among the shifting justifications for Washington’s decision to join Israel in launching an air war against Iran on February 28.
With Israel pressing strikes against Iranian targets and allied groups, and Iran demonstrating continued long-range capabilities, the status of key Iranian security figures remains a focal point. Confirmation on Larijani’s fate, and clarity on strikes targeting the Basij leadership, will shape the next phase of a conflict that has already widened across borders and drawn in multiple regional capitals.
