Israel claims killing Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani

Jerusalem, March 17 (IANS) Israel on Tuesday claimed that it has killed Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani.

In a statement shared on X, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) stated that Larjiani was considered one of the most senior figures in the Iranian regime leadership and a close associate of late Supreme Leader Ayotallah Ali Khamenei.

"Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and the regime’s effective leader, has been eliminated. Throughout the years, Larijani was considered one of the most veteran and senior figures within the Iranian regime leadership, and was a close associate of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei," IDF posted on X.

"During the most recent wave of protests against the Iranian terror regime, Larijani personally oversaw the massacre that was carried out against Iranian protestors," it added.

However, a short while after the Israeli claims, social media handles of Ali Larijani posted a hand-written statement of the leader in which he mentioned about Tuesday's funeral ceremony of 84 Iranian sailors killed in the March 4 US attack on the warship IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka's coast.

"Their memory will forever remain in the heart of the Iranian nation," the note cited Larijani as saying.

After Khamenei's death, Larijani functioned as the leader of the Iranian regime and led the combat against Israel and countries in the region, according to the statement released by IDF.

The news of Ali Larjiani's death comes just a few days after he participated in International Quds Day rally in Tehran on March 13.

Earlier in the day, IDF announced that Basij Unit commander Gholamreza Soleimani has also been killed.

In a statement shared on X, IDF said, "COMMANDER OF THE BASIJ UNIT ELIMINATED. Yesterday, the IDF targeted & eliminated Gholamreza Soleimani, who operated as commander of the Basij unit for the past 6 years. Under Soleimani, the Basij unit led the main repression operations in Iran, employing severe violence, widespread arrests, and the use of force against civilian demonstrators."

In an earlier statement, IDF said that it has targetted command centers, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), ballistic missiles and air defence storage sites in Tehran.

"Iranian regime infrastructure in different areas across Iran: In Tehran, dozens of munitions were dropped on command centers and UAV, ballistic missiles and air defence storage sites were stuck," IDF posted on X.

"In Shiraz, the internal security forces’ command center and a ballistic missile site were struck. In Tabriz, additional Iranian regime air defense systems were dismantled—further expanding aerial superiority in the region and protecting Israel," it added.