Israel announced Tuesday that it had killed Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and one of the most senior figures remaining in the Iranian government, in a targeted strike. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz made the claim publicly, stating that 'the leaders of the regime are being killed and their capabilities terminated.' Israel's military also announced the killing of Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of Iran's internal Basij militia, in the same operation.

Iran has neither confirmed nor denied Larijani's death as of Tuesday. Iranian state media published a photograph of a handwritten note attributed to Larijani, which also appeared on his social media accounts, though it was unclear whether the note was intended as evidence that he remained alive. The message commemorated 84 Iranian sailors killed in a U.S. strike on a naval vessel and made no reference to the Israeli claim. Larijani was last seen publicly on Friday, attending an Al-Quds Day rally in Tehran alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Larijani has been a central figure in Iranian politics for decades, having previously led Iran's nuclear negotiations with Western powers and served as speaker of parliament. The Israel Defense Forces described him as having 'functioned as the leader of the Iranian regime' following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died in a U.S.-Israeli strike on February 28, the opening day of the current conflict. The IDF also linked Larijani to the violent suppression of anti-government protests inside Iran.

If confirmed, Larijani's death would represent the most significant targeted killing since Khamenei's death and the start of the war. The claimed strike comes amid an rapidly escalating regional conflict that has drawn in multiple countries. On Tuesday alone, Iran fired 10 ballistic missiles and 45 drones at the United Arab Emirates, air defenses were activated in Qatar's capital Doha, and Israel launched new airstrikes on Tehran. A tanker anchored off the UAE coast was struck by debris, and Dubai International Airport temporarily suspended flights after a drone hit a nearby fuel tank.

Just days before his reported death, Larijani had issued statements calling on Muslim-majority nations to support Iran against what he called 'treacherous aggression' by the United States and Israel, warning Islamic governments that neutrality was incompatible with religious duty. Analysts caution that even if the killing is confirmed, it does not signal the collapse of the Iranian government, which has continued military operations across the region. The broader conflict, now in its third week, has produced strikes across Lebanon, Israel, Iran, Iraq, and the Gulf states.