New Delhi: Israel said Tuesday it has killed two senior Iranian figures—Ali Larijani, the country’s intelligence chief, and Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of Basij paramilitary force of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—amid its ongoing conflict with Iran.
The claim, if substantiated, could mark a significant escalation in the tensions.
Iranian state media, however, later published a handwritten note attributed to Larijani. The message, which also then appeared on his social media accounts, commemorated Iranian sailors killed in the US attack on IRIS Dena in international waters earlier this month.
It remains unclear when the note was written, or whether it serves as proof that Larijani is still alive. Iranian government has issued no official statement addressing the claim yet.
به مناسبت مراسم تشییع سلحشوران نیروی دریایی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران: یاد آنان همواره در قلب ملت ایران خواهد بود و این شهادتها بنیان ارتش جمهوری اسلامی را برای سالها در ساختار نیروهای مسلح استوار مینماید. ازخداوند متعال علو درجات برای این شهدای عزیز خواستارم. pic.twitter.com/dvTdhyDYbY
— Ali Larijani | علی لاریجانی (@alilarijani_ir) March 17, 2026
If Larijani has, in fact, been assassinated, it would be the most significant strike on key Iranian officials since previous Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei’s killing. Currently, after the Supreme Leader, he is the central figure in Iran’s leadership, the man many describe as the regime’s “kingmaker”, who holds the real power.
From the head of the state-run broadcaster, to the speaker of the parliament, and the suppressor of 2009 and 2026 protests to the secretary of Supreme National Security Council, Larijani—once seen as the Ayatollah’s close confidant—has played several key roles in the Iranian government, bringing him the reputation of being “the quintessential insider”.
In Iran’s political structure, he holds more influence than a cabinet minister, and is key to both civil and military administration.
He was reappointed secretary of Iran’s SNSC by President Masoud Pezeshkian in August 2025, bringing him to the centre of the country’s security establishment.
By October last year, reports indicated that Larijani had scrapped a cooperation arrangement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, dismissing its findings as “no longer effective”.
During negotiations mediated by Oman in February, he had said that Tehran had not received a concrete proposal from Washington, accusing Israel of attempting to derail diplomacy in order to “ignite a war”. In an interview to Al Jazeera before the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, he had struck a more conciliatory tone, describing Iran’s stance on negotiations as “positive”, and arguing that Washington had come to recognise the limits of military force.
A “fundamentalist” Kantian philosopher who is also a ruthless leader, Larijani has spent decades in the Iranian regime, perfecting the art of being indispensable. His family was once referred to by TIME as the “Kennedy’s of Iran”.
When protests over the economic crisis erupted in the country in January, it was Larijani who was credited with the brutal crackdown on protestors. According to reports, the Ayatollah had bypassed President Pezeshkian’s authority and turned to Larijani, head of the SNSC.
When the US and Israel first attacked Iran on 28 February, Larijani turned from a pragmatist to wartime head. He has openly challenged the US, his interviews are all over Iranian media and he holds the position of the regime’s “Everything Man”. He refused to negotiate with US President Donald Trump, and said he must pay for his “crimes”.
He was last seen on the streets of Tehran on Al Quds Day, openly challenging Trump to attack him, even as the US placed a $10 million bounty on him. His last social media post before the assassination claims was a counter to Trump’s claim of the clips of people holding anti-US and anti-Israel marches on the streets in Iran being AI-generated.
.@realDonaldTrump says the scenes of millions of people who just gathered in anti-US and anti-Israel marches across many Iranian cities were AI-generated… 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/PIJ9tqhyAP
— Ali Larijani | علی لاریجانی (@alilarijani_ir) March 16, 2026
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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