Israel assassinates Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani, escalating the Middle East war and targeting the leadership of the Islamic Republic.
JERUSALEM: Israel announced it has killed Iran’s powerful national security chief, Ali Larijani (pic). Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Larijani as the leader of “the gang of gangsters that actually runs Iran.”
The reported assassination is a major blow to Iran’s ruling system amid a widening regional war. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated Larijani was “eliminated last night,” though Iran has not confirmed his death.
Netanyahu said the overthrow of Iran’s authorities “will not happen all at once.” He added that persistent pressure could allow the Iranian people to “take their fate into their own hands.”
Larijani, 68, was a key pillar of the regime and central to Iran’s nuclear policy. He had become increasingly visible after the war began, appearing at a pro-government rally in Tehran last week.
This strike follows the US-Israeli killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28. Israel also claimed to have killed Basij force head Gholamreza Soleimani in a Tehran strike.
It further targeted Akram al-Ajouri, head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s military wing, in Iran. Israel has pursued a policy of decapitating enemy leadership since the 2023 Hamas attacks.
The whereabouts of Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, remain unknown. US President Donald Trump said Monday that “we don’t know… if he’s dead or not.”
Regional strikes shook multiple countries from the Gulf to Lebanon on Tuesday. An AFP reporter reported blasts in Tehran after a night of heavy bombardment.
In retaliation for earlier attacks, Iran has targeted US interests and regional energy infrastructure. Its threats have all but closed the Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers.
Oil prices surged around 3% after several nations resisted Trump’s demand for warships to secure the strait. Trump warned it would be “very bad” for NATO if allies refused to help.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer ruled out a NATO mission but said London was working on a “viable” plan. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the war was “not a matter for NATO.”
The conflict has drawn in Lebanon, where Hezbollah has struck Israel. Israeli ground troops are operating in southern Lebanon and struck near Beirut’s airport on Tuesday.
A Lebanese military soldier was killed and four wounded in an Israeli strike. Lebanon’s health ministry says Israeli strikes have killed 886 people since March 2.
More than a million people are displaced across Lebanon. In Sidon, displaced families are sleeping in cars along the seafront due to overwhelmed shelters.
“Lots of people are coming every day to ask for shelter but we don’t have space anymore,” said Jihan Kaisi, who runs a shelter crammed with over 1,100 people.
The Sun Malaysia
