Security Chief Ali Larijani and Basij Commander Gholam Reza Soleimani Dead
Israel says it has killed two of Iran’s most senior figures in overnight strikes, dealing another major blow to the country’s leadership amid an escalating regional war.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that Ali Larijani, a longtime political insider, and Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, head of Iran’s Basij militia, were “eliminated.”
Larijani came from one of Iran’s most influential political families and held several key roles over decades. He served as speaker of parliament, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and later as a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, including on nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration.
Soleimani led the Basij, a powerful paramilitary force that enforces internal security and supports Iran’s military operations. Israel’s military described the group as an “armed apparatus of the Iranian terror regime.”
The strikes follow earlier reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader was killed at the start of the conflict, along with other senior officials. Despite these losses, Iran has continued to retaliate, launching missiles and drones toward Israel and neighboring Gulf states, signaling the conflict is intensifying.
