Chicago – March 17, 2026
Iran has confirmed the death of Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, following an Israeli airstrike on Tehran, after Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz announced he had been killed in an overnight strike.
The Israeli military described Larijani as the “de facto leader” of Iran’s leadership structure after the earlier killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and said he coordinated Tehran’s political‑security response and directed its regional and international operations.
Tehran has yet to issue a detailed official statement on the circumstances of his death, though state media has circulated a final handwritten note attributed to him on the funeral of Iranian sailors, interpreted by analysts as a tacit acknowledgment of his demise.
Larijani, a veteran politician and former parliamentary speaker, was a central figure in Iran’s power elite and had been closely involved in nuclear negotiations and domestic security policy, including the suppression of recent nationwide protests. His killing marks one of the most senior losses suffered by Iran’s leadership since the start of the US‑Israel‑led war on Iran in February 2026.
