Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Katz has claimed that Israel assassinated Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the internal Basij militia. The Iranian government has not yet commented on or confirmed these claims.

Iranian state media published a handwritten note by Larijani, though it is unclear whether it is intended as proof of life. The note, posted on his social media outlets, commemorates the memory of Iranian sailors killed in a US attack on their boat in international waters; their funeral is expected to be held on Tuesday.

If confirmed, Larijani would be the highest-level assassination in the war since February 28, when US-Israeli strikes killed former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several family members on the first day of the conflict. Larijani was last seen publicly on Friday attending a Quds Day rally in support of Palestinians in Tehran alongside Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Larijani has been a prominent political figure in Iran’s hierarchy for years, once leading the country’s nuclear negotiations with the West and previously serving as Speaker of the Iranian Parliament. Additionally, the Israeli military claimed in a post on X on Tuesday that it killed Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij unit, but Iran has not confirmed this claim either.

These events highlight an escalation in the Iran-Israel conflict and risk regional destabilization, as Israel’s claims increase the likelihood of Iranian retaliation. The lack of official confirmation leaves the situation ambiguous, with further developments being closely monitored.

Source: www.aljazeera.com