Israel said Tuesday it had killed Iran’s powerful national security chief, Ali Larijani, in what would be a huge blow to the Islamic republic as fresh strikes rocked the Middle East from Tehran to Baghdad.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Larijani was “eliminated last night”, although this has not been confirmed by Iran.
Larijani would be the most senior Iranian official to be assassinated since the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed on the first day of Israeli and US strikes on 28 February.
Iranian authorities have not commented on the Israeli statements, which came after a night of heavy bombardment in Tehran interspersed with the sound of thunder.
But shortly after Katz’s statement, Larijani’s social media accounts posted an undated, handwritten note that state media said was written on Tuesday.
The note praises the 84 “warriors” of the Iranian navy who were killed in a US submarine attack on their warship off the coast of Sri Lanka this month. Iran is preparing to hold a ceremony to honour the sailors on Tuesday evening.
