Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, announced on Tuesday that Iran’s top national security figure, Ali Larijani, was “eliminated last night” alongside the commander of the Islamic Republic’s Basij paramilitary force, Gholamreza Soleimani, in what could mark one of the most significant blows to Iran’s leadership in the ongoing conflict.
If confirmed by Tehran, Larijani’s death would represent the highest-profile assassination since Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and several other senior officials were reportedly killed during a wave of U.S.–Israeli strikes that ignited the current war on February 28.
In a televised statement, Katz said he had been informed by Israel’s military chief that both Larijani and Soleimani were killed in a coordinated operation.
“They have joined Khamenei, the head of the annihilation program,” Katz said, adding that other senior figures from what he described as the “axis of evil” had also been eliminated.
An Israeli military official described Larijani as effectively leading Iran’s decision-making apparatus in recent weeks.
He was “the de facto leader of the Iranian regime… the one calling the shots and moving the pieces around,” the official said.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released an image showing the premier on the phone, captioned that he had ordered operations against senior Iranian officials.
Earlier, the Israeli military said it had carried out a “precise strike” in Tehran that killed Soleimani, who had led the Basij paramilitary force for the past six years.
The Basij — a volunteer militia operating under Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — has played a central role in internal security and suppression of protests.
According to the Israeli military, Soleimani was killed along with other commanders at what it described as a “makeshift headquarters.”
The army alleged that the Basij had spearheaded repression during recent nationwide protests in Iran, which peaked earlier this year and were met with a severe crackdown involving mass arrests and casualties, according to rights groups.
An Israeli military official also disclosed that a strike in Iran targeted Akram al-Ajouri, a senior figure in Palestinian Islamic Jihad and head of its armed wing, the Al-Quds Brigades.
Ajouri’s forces operate in both Gaza and the West Bank and were involved in the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel led by Hamas.
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Israeli officials said they were still assessing whether he had been killed in the strike.
As of the time of reporting, Iranian authorities had not publicly confirmed the deaths of Larijani or Soleimani.
Analysts note that confirmation could take time, especially given the sensitivity of leadership losses during wartime and the possibility of communication disruptions following air strikes.
If verified, the assassinations would represent a major escalation in Israel’s strategy of targeting senior political and military figures, potentially weakening Iran’s command structure but also raising the risk of wider regional retaliation.
Shortly after Katz’s statement, explosions were reportedly heard in Jerusalem, while air-raid sirens sounded in northern Israel following warnings of incoming Iranian missiles.
The alerts suggest Iran may already be responding militarily to the strikes, raising fears of further escalation.
Security experts say the killing of senior Iranian leaders could trigger unpredictable consequences, including intensified missile exchanges, attacks by allied militias across the Middle East, or disruptions to global energy markets.
The Basij’s role in internal security also means its leadership losses could affect Iran’s ability to maintain domestic control during a time of crisis.
Meanwhile, diplomatic observers warn that continued high-level assassinations risk transforming the conflict into a broader regional war involving multiple state and non-state actors.
With both sides demonstrating the capability and willingness to strike deep inside each other’s territory, analysts say the war has entered a particularly volatile stage.
Whether the reported killings will weaken Iran’s military posture or provoke a harsher response remains uncertain, but experts agree that the risk of further escalation is now significantly higher.