Iran’s national security council confirms death of its chief, Ali Larijani | Iran

Iran’s supreme national security council confirmed the death of its chairman, Ali Larijani, after Israel said he had been killed in an airstrike.

“The pure souls of the martyrs embraced the pure soul of the righteous servant of Allah, Martyr Dr. Ali Larijani,” the Council said in a statement on Tuesday evening, adding that his son and his guards died with him.

“After a lifetime of struggle for the advancement of Iran and the Islamic Revolution, he achieved his long-desired goal, answered the divine call, and attained the sweet grace of martyrdom with honor in the trenches of service,” the statement said.

Israel had previously announced that it had killed Larijani, one of the cornerstones of Iranian politics, in night attacks. He is the most senior Iranian figure to die in battle since religious leader Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the war.

His death represents a devastating blow, removing a key figure at the heart of the regime’s political and security establishment at a moment of acute crisis.

Israeli defense minister Israel Katz said Basij paramilitary force commander Gholamreza Soleimani and other senior Basij figures were killed in a separate attack. Soleimani’s death was later confirmed by Iranian state media.

Larijani and the Basij commander were eliminated overnight, and in the depths of hell the head of the extermination program joined Khamenei and all the eliminated members of the axis of evil.” Katz said on Tuesday:.

Donald Trump also welcomed the news of Larijani’s death; but without naming him, he cited his alleged leading role in suppressing recent mass protests. “Their leaders are gone,” Trump said of Iran’s religious regime. “This is an evil group. I mean, they killed over 32,000 people. And the person responsible for that was killed yesterday.”

The twin deaths show that Israel still maintains intelligence on the movements of Iran’s top leaders in Tehran and can use this and the United States’ near-total control of Iranian airspace to attack at will.

Larijani was seen days ago at the annual Quds Day rally in the crowded streets of Tehran. He was appointed secretary of the supreme national security council in August following previous US-Israeli attacks on Iran in June 2025, and on Monday he issued a statement calling on Muslims around the world to support Iran in its fight and calling on Gulf leaders to explain why they still allow US bases in their countries to be used to attack Iran.

Larijani had also played a key diplomatic role before the war, alongside Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, in persuading Gulf states to prevent an attack. He forcefully defended Tehran’s tactics in the war, but was seen as a possible transitional figure by the end of the conflict. Israel is skeptical of the concept of transition from within the regime.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, “The political assassinations carried out by Israel, including the political assassinations of Iranian statesmen and politicians, are illegal actions against the law of war.”

In the statement made by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, it was stated that Benjamin Netanyahu ordered “the elimination of high-level officials of the Iranian regime.”

The US-Israeli war against Iran is in its third week, with at least 2,000 people dead and no end in sight. The Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, and U.S. allies have rebuffed calls from U.S. President Donald Trump to help reopen the vital waterway through which about 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows.

Arguably more than any other Iranian politician, Larijani combined Iran’s military and political strategy. His death will confirm the important role the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps plays in Iranian politics. On Monday, Mohsen Rezaee, a former IRGC commander, was appointed military adviser to the new supreme leader.

Larijani was seen As one of the more pragmatic faces of Iran’s founding He was the man who helped steer nuclear negotiations with the West, but that image later hardened. Hours after Khamenei was killed by US and Israeli strikes, Larijani delivered a defiant message, warning Iran’s enemies that they would “regret” their actions and promising a strong response.

An Israeli official told Larijani that the attack was originally planned for the night before but was postponed at the last minute.

The official said intelligence received Monday afternoon indicated Larijani would arrive at one of several apartments he was using to hide. It was reported that his son was also there when the strike took place.

When news that he had been targeted began to spread early Tuesday and his fate remained unclear, another senior Israeli official said there was “no chance of surviving this attack.”

In a handwritten statement broadcast by Iranian state television, Larijani praised the bravery of Iranian sailors who lost their lives when their ship was hit by missiles fired from a US submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka.

He wrote: “Their memory will always remain in the heart of the Iranian nation, and these martyrs will strengthen the foundations of the army of the Islamic Republic within the armed forces for years to come.”

Born in Najaf, Iraq, in 1958, he was educated in Tehran and rose through the ranks of government after the Islamic revolution; He served as minister of culture, head of state broadcasting and speaker of parliament for more than a decade.

As chief nuclear negotiator, he played a key role in shaping Iran’s relations with world powers and later supported the 2015 nuclear deal.

Although he is often seen as a pragmatist within the system, his stance has hardened in recent months as tensions with Israel and the United States have increased and diplomatic efforts have been disrupted.

The US had offered a reward of up to $10 million (£7.5 million) for information on senior Iranian military and intelligence officials, including Larijani, as part of a list of 10 people linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

With the confirmation of Larijani’s death, the number of senior Iranian officials killed by Israel since the beginning of the latest conflict has risen to 10.

Among them are five other senior military commanders. Ali ShamkhaniClose advisor to the religious leader.