&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Sweet grace of martyrdom': Ali Larijani, Gholamreza Soleimani killed in Israeli strike, confirms Iran; highest-level deaths since Khamenei")
Iran's top security body on Tuesday (Mar 17) confirmed the death of its security chief Ali Larijani, one of the country's most influential figures, following an Israeli airstrike. This comes after Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed the assassination of Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Revolutionary Guard’s Basij force.
Ali Larijani confirmed dead
In a statement on Tuesday, Iran's Supreme National Security Council said Larijani was killed along with his son and bodyguards.
"The pure souls of the martyrs embraced the purified soul of God’s righteous servant," the council said, describing his death as martyrdom after "a lifetime of struggle" for the Islamic Republic.
"After a lifetime of struggle for the advancement of Iran and of the Islamic Revolution, he ultimately attained his long-held aspiration, answered the divine call, and honourably achieved the sweet grace of martyrdom in the trench of service," it said.
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Larijani, a powerful political figure, rose in influence after Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint US-Israel strike at the start of the Iran war. Khamenei's death was confirmed on March 1.
A former speaker of parliament and long-time adviser within Iran’s leadership, Larijani played a central role in shaping policy, particularly on nuclear negotiations. Israel had earlier announced that Larijani was killed in an overnight operation. Defence Minister Israel Katz said the strike also "eliminated" Gholamreza Soleimani, a senior commander of Iran’s Basij force.
Iran confirms Gholamreza Soleimani killed
The killing of Gholamreza Soleimani was confirmed by Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Tuesday. "Commander Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij Organization, has been martyred," the Guards said on their Sepah News website.
Sanctions and a controversial legacy
Both Larijani and Soleimani had faced international scrutiny. The US Treasury had sanctioned Ali Larijani for allegedly "coordinating" the suppression of protests, while Soleimani was similarly targeted by sanctions from the United States and European Union over his role in internal crackdowns.
Israel signals broader objective
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes were part of a wider effort to weaken Iran’s leadership.
"We are undermining this regime to give the Iranian people the opportunity to remove it," he said.
The killings mark another escalation in the conflict, as Israel continues to target senior figures within Iran’s political and military hierarchy.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
