Iranian authorities confirmed that Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, was killed in an Israeli strike. The Fars News Agency reported on platform X (formerly Twitter) that Larijani had "been martyred," escalating tensions in the region.

The Israeli military also stated that Gholam Reza Soleimani, head of the Basij volunteer paramilitary force, was "eliminated" overnight. The 67-year-old Larijani was widely believed to have been running the country following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Larijani served as a strategic advisor to Khamenei on nuclear talks with the Trump administration and participated in negotiations in Oman in the weeks before the war. His death prompted threats of retaliation from Iran, with army chief Amir Hatami vowing a "decisive and regrettable" response.

The US regime, in turn, claimed to have bombed "hardened Iranian missile sites" along the Strait of Hormuz, posing risks to global oil flows and regional stability. These developments occurred on day 19 of the US-Israeli war with Iran, heightening the risk of a deepening conflict in the Middle East.

Source: www.dw.com