Israel Claims Killing Iran Leader Ali Larijani

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Dubai – Israel, on Tuesday, claimed that Iran's de facto wartime leader, Ali Ardashir Larijani, was killed in overnight Israeli strikes. However, Iran had neither denied nor confirmed the claim until late on Tuesday.

“Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, has been killed,” Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement followed by a statement by Benjamin Netanyahu, who called the political assassination a major success.

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If confirmed, Larijani's loss will be a major blow after 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's assassination by the US and Israel on February 28, the first day of the war. Several other top Iranian military and political leaders have also been killed since then.

Iranian state media did not confirm Larijani's assassination. However, a post on his X account shared his handwritten note mourning Iranian sailors killed in a US attack on their frigate in the Indian Ocean on March 4.

He wrote that the“martyrdom of these naval heroes proves the sacrifices of a zealous nation” and said their memory would strengthen the foundations of Iran's armed forces for years to come.

Larijani, 67, has been widely seen as Iran's No. 2 leader and played a key role in running the country alongside the transitional council after Ayatollah Khamenei's assassination.

His reported killing came a day after he warned of a“conspiracy” linked to associates of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, alleging plans for a 9/11-style attack to frame Iran.

Ali Larijani is a seasoned politician, war veteran, and philosopher who has served as secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council since 2025.

A close aide to Khamenei and a former nuclear negotiator with the US, Larijani was last seen in Tehran on March 13 at a rally alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Known as a calm and pragmatic figure within Iran's leadership, he had warned the US and Israel of an“unforgettable lesson” after the conflict began.

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Born on June 3, 1958, in Najaf, Iraq, Larijani came from an influential family once described by Time magazine as the“Kennedys of Iran”. His father was a prominent religious scholar, and his brothers hold key positions in the country.

He studied at Qom seminary and later earned degrees in computer science and mathematics and a PhD in Western philosophy from leading Iranian universities.

Larijani has also written at least six philosophy books, including three exploring the works of German philosopher Immanuel Kant.

He was appointed to advise Ayatollah Khamenei on strategy in nuclear talks with the Trump administration and travelled to Oman to meet with mediators just two weeks before Israel and the US attacked.

Like other top Iranian leaders, he was under heavy US sanctions.

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Larijani, a former commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and a veteran of the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), began his political career in the 1980s and served as culture minister from 1994 to 1997.

He went on to serve three consecutive terms as Speaker of Parliament from 2008 to 2020 and played a significant role in securing approval for the 2015 nuclear deal.

In August 2025, he returned to a key security role as head of the Supreme National Security Council.

The absence of independent confirmation leaves the situation unclear, even as the conflict continues to escalate across the region.

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