Israel’s defence leadership says its forces have eliminated two of Iran’s most senior security figures, marking a dramatic escalation in the ongoing conflict, though Tehran has yet to confirm the deaths.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has claimed that Israeli forces killed Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani in overnight strikes.
The Israel Defense Forces also said it carried out an air strike that targeted the leadership of Iran’s internal security apparatus, including the Basij, a paramilitary force under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iranian authorities had not issued an official response to the claims by the time of publication.
In a televised address, Katz said the operation was part of a broader campaign against Iran’s military and strategic capabilities.
“The leaders of the regime are being killed and their capabilities terminated,” he said. “Our army is working with strength to continue to hit and terminate the missile capabilities as well as the strategic infrastructure.”
Larijani, long considered one of Iran’s most influential political figures, had recently returned to prominence as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council in August 2025.
Known for his pragmatic approach, he previously served as parliament speaker for over a decade and played a key role in advancing the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Born in 1958 in Najaf, Iraq, Larijani came from a powerful clerical family and built a career spanning academia, media, and high-level state leadership. He held degrees in mathematics and philosophy, with doctoral research focused on the work of Immanuel Kant, before transitioning into government roles following Iran’s 1979 revolution.
Soleimani, born in 1964, rose through the ranks of the IRGC after joining in his youth and serving during the Iran-Iraq war. He became head of the Basij forces in 2019, overseeing an estimated 450,000-strong volunteer paramilitary network central to Iran’s domestic security structure.
A staunch defender of the Iranian government, Soleimani had been under sanctions by multiple Western powers, including the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, and Canada.
If confirmed, the reported killings would represent a significant blow to Iran’s security leadership and could further inflame tensions in the region, with potential implications for the broader conflict involving Israel and its regional adversaries.
