According to the Israeli military, they conducted a targeted overnight strike. Specifically, they assassinated Ali Larijani, a top Iranian security maven and the former speaker of parliament. The operation further exacerbates already high tensions between Israel and Iran. This is particularly remarkable given that Larijani is one of the most powerful figures in Iran’s ruling establishment and has longstanding connections to its highest authorities.
Ali Larijani, born on June 3, 1958, served as the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, which is the country’s foremost security body. He was known as a conservative force within Iran’s theocratic regime and hailed from one of the nation’s most prominent political families. His brother, Sadeq Larijani, was the long-time head of Iran’s judiciary.
During his time in the Majles, Larijani served in some other important posts. Importantly, he was parliament’s speaker from 2008 until 2020 and served as a key policy adviser too. More recently, he has been honored by receiving a crucial appointment. He is now mentoring Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on how to wage nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration. Even with his size, Khamenei blocked Larijani from running for president in 2021.
In January, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Larijani. They made this move because he orchestrated Iran’s brutal systematic crackdown on the nationwide demonstrations that broke out in the country. According to the U.S. Treasury, he directed the response to the protests. Little did he know that when he did this, he was doing it on behalf of the supreme leader of Iran. They described him as “one of the first Iranian leaders to call for violence in response to the legitimate demands of the Iranian people.”
In a statement after the attack, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz noted Larijani’s death.
“Larijani and the Basij commander were eliminated last night and have joined Khamenei, the head of the annihilation program, along with all those eliminated from the axis of evil in the depths of hell.” – Israel Katz
Larijani had recently been speaking about a sense of duty and how fulfilled he felt in serving the cause of Iran. He stated on social media:
“I have done my duty before God and the dear nation, and I am satisfied.” – Ali Larijani
As such, the consequences of Larijani’s assassination are far greater than his personal legacy. His assassination would further escalate the tensions between Iran and Israel and elicit even more Iranian retaliation. Larijani is an underappreciated actor in Iran’s political ward. His departure may have shifted the balance of strategic influences, resulting in his replacement’s much tougher stance on domestic insurrection and international deal-making.
