TEHRAN – Iranian authorities have officially confirmed the death of Ali Larijani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and one of the country’s most powerful figures, in an Israeli airstrike. His son and several senior aides were also killed in the attack.
The confirmation came late Tuesday from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, ending hours of speculation after Israeli officials first claimed responsibility for the strike .
According to Iranian officials, Larijani was killed along with his son Morteza Larijani in an airstrike that targeted a residence in the Pardis area, east of Tehran . The attack occurred on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
The strike also killed Alireza Bayat, Larijani’s deputy for security affairs, and his head of security, Seyed Vahid Fatemi-Nejad, along with several other council staff members and bodyguards .
Initial reports had suggested the attack took place at Larijani’s daughter’s home, though some Iranian media later disputed this detail. What is clear is that the strike was precise and targeted, hitting a location where the top security official was present with close family and staff.
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Who Was Ali Larijani?
Larijani was not just another official in Iran’s complex political system. He was a figure who had served the Islamic Republic for more than four decades .
Born in 1958, Larijani joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the early 1980s, shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. He later moved into government, serving as Culture Minister from 1994 to 1997. During the early stages of Iran’s nuclear crisis, he served as the country’s chief nuclear negotiator and played a key role in the process that eventually led to the nuclear agreement .
From 2008 to 2020, Larijani served as speaker of the Iranian parliament, making him one of the most recognizable political figures in the country. He attempted to run for president in 2021 and again in 2024, but was disqualified by the Constitutional Council both times .
In 2025, following the 12-day war between Israel, the United States, and Iran, President Masoud Pezeshkian appointed Larijani as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council .
Larijani’s importance grew enormously after the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, 2026. Following Khamenei’s killing in a US-Israeli airstrike, Larijani was widely seen as the de facto leader or “war manager” coordinating Iran’s strategic decisions during the ongoing conflict .
The Israeli military described him as “the de facto leader” of the Iranian regime in their statement claiming responsibility for the strike . He was known as a close confidant of both the late Supreme Leader and his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei.
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His role involved bridging gaps between Iran’s political and military factions, using his long experience as both a revolutionary guard veteran and a parliamentary leader. He was also known as a skilled negotiator who understood both domestic politics and international diplomacy.
On March 18, a massive funeral procession was held for Ali and Morteza Larijani in Tehran. Hundreds of thousands of mourners gathered at Enghelab Square, filling the streets as coffins draped in Iranian flags were carried through the capital on trucks .
The ceremony, broadcast live on state television, was one of the largest public gatherings in Iran since the conflict with the US and Israel escalated in late February. Iranian officials and IRGC leaders attended, delivering speeches vowing retaliation .
President Masoud Pezeshkian called the event “extremely sorrowful” and promised a harsh response to the killings.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched retaliatory strikes on targets in Israel following Larijani’s death. The IRGC announced it had hit more than 100 targets in Tel Aviv during the 61st wave of its ongoing Operation True Promise 4, using Khorramshahr-4 and Qadr missiles .
The IRGC claimed the strikes had killed or injured more than 230 people in Israel .
Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, offered condolences while hinting at further retaliation. In a social media statement, he condemned the “assassination” and stated that those responsible would “pay the price for their crimes”.
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi struck a somewhat different tone when speaking to Al Jazeera. He argued that Israel’s killing of Larijani would not deal a fatal blow to Iran’s leadership.
“I do not know why the Americans and the Israelis still have not understood this point: The Islamic Republic of Iran has a strong political structure with established political, economic, and social institutions,” Araghchi said. “The presence or absence of a single individual does not affect this structure” .
Araghchi noted that despite the earlier loss of Supreme Leader Khamenei, “the system continued” to function .
Russia condemned the killing. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “We certainly condemn actions intended to harm health or, even more so, to kill representatives of the leadership of a sovereign and independent Iran, as well as other countries.”
Hamas also condemned what it called a “treacherous” Israeli strike, praising Larijani’s support for the Palestinian cause and calling the attack a “flagrant aggression” against Iran .
Larijani’s death represents another major blow to Iran’s leadership structure in a conflict that has already claimed the lives of numerous top officials, including the Supreme Leader himself. His killing removes a figure who provided strategic coordination between military and political wings at a time of war.
The strike also raises questions about security in Tehran itself. If Israeli forces can successfully target the country’s top security official in his home near the capital, what does that mean for the safety of other leaders?
For now, all sides appear to be preparing for continued conflict. Iran has vowed revenge, Israel has promised more surprises, and the cycle of retaliation shows no signs of stopping. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after confirming Larijani’s death, “There are many more surprises” .
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