DUBAI: Reports indicate that Ali Larijani—Israel’s primary target following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei—was assassinated ...
DUBAI: Reports indicate that Ali Larijani—Israel’s primary target following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei—was assassinated while visiting his daughter. Larijani was killed on Tuesday at his daughter’s residence in Pardis, a suburb of Tehran. Iran’s official news agency, Fars, confirmed that his son and several bodyguards also perished in the strike.
Following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Larijani topped the Israeli military's target list. However, locating him proved a formidable challenge for the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad; after Khamenei’s death, senior Iranian officials had retreated into complex security protocols. Because Larijani constantly rotated between secret hideouts, Israeli intelligence struggled for weeks to pinpoint his exact location.
Iran International, quoting an Israeli official, reported that "valuable intelligence" provided by Tehran residents ultimately helped track Larijani down. Israeli sources noted that despite the high-level threats, Larijani’s decision to attend public events and Quds Day rallies exposed him to surveillance and led to his eventual identification.
Iran has vowed to avenge Larijani’s death, which marks a devastating blow to the Tehran administration. As the architect of Iran’s security policy and a key powerbroker behind the scenes, Larijani is the most senior figure to fall since Khamenei’s death on February 28. A close confidant of the late leader, Larijani was often characterized by local media as a "prudent and prominent" official. Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, has since succeeded his father as Supreme Leader.
Larijani oversaw Iran’s internal security and defense strategy. In mourning, the regime declared him a "martyr," honoring his lifelong role in protecting the Iranian state. His death follows that of Basij paramilitary chief Gholamreza Soleimani, who was killed in Israeli strikes in central Tehran on the night of March 16–17.
The assassination of Ali Larijani has triggered a seismic shift within Iran’s power structure. Losing such a seasoned leader at this critical juncture—just as Mojtaba Khamenei is consolidating power—presents a massive challenge for the regime. Furthermore, Israel’s ability to strike with precision inside Tehran’s most secure districts is being viewed as a catastrophic failure of Iran’s security apparatus. If intelligence was indeed sourced from local residents, as Israel claims, it points toward growing domestic dissent and a deep-seated network of internal espionage.
While Iran’s military chief, Amir Hatami, has promised a "decisive and regrettable" retaliation, reports suggest that he has now also been added to Israel’s high-priority target list.
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