In the escalating 2026 Iran-Israel war — which erupted with major US-backed Israeli airstrikes on February 28 — Iran has suffered another severe blow to its leadership. On the night of March 16-17, Israeli forces conducted precision strikes near Tehran that killed Ali Larijani, the powerful Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Brig. Gen. Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij paramilitary force.
Iranian state media and official bodies, including the Supreme National Security Council and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), later confirmed both deaths. Larijani’s killing also claimed the lives of his son Morteza and several aides in what Israel described as a targeted operation based on precise intelligence. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that the two officials had been “eliminated” and joined the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “in the depths of hell,” framing the strikes as part of a broader effort against Iran’s “Axis of Evil” network.
A Pattern of High-Profile Assassinations
These deaths represent the most significant leadership losses since the opening day of the conflict, when Israeli and US strikes killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at his Tehran compound. Khamenei’s assassination on February 28 triggered immediate succession questions and marked the start of what analysts have called a systematic “decapitation strategy” aimed at disrupting Iran’s command structure, nuclear coordination, proxy operations, and internal security.
The list of confirmed or reported senior figures killed includes:
- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Supreme Leader).
- Ali Larijani (key national security coordinator and de facto power broker in the war’s early weeks).
- Gholamreza Soleimani (Basij commander, responsible for internal repression and militia mobilization).
- Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib (killed in follow-on strikes).
- Earlier losses: Former defense and security officials such as Ali Shamkhani, various IRGC commanders, defense ministers, and armed forces chiefs.
Larijani, a veteran politician and former parliamentary speaker from a prominent family, had emerged as one of the regime’s most influential surviving insiders. Trusted by the late Khamenei, he played a central role in wartime strategy, nuclear-related decisions, and managing relations with the United States. His death removes a pragmatic yet hardline voice capable of coordinating policy amid chaos. Soleimani, meanwhile, oversaw the Basij — the vast volunteer militia often deployed for domestic control and crackdowns on protests — making his elimination a direct hit on the regime’s tools of internal stability.
Iran’s Response and Succession Challenges
Iran has vowed retaliation, launching missile and drone attacks on Israeli targets, US assets in the region, and Gulf neighbors in the days following the strikes. New Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei — the late leader’s son, elevated in early March by the Assembly of Experts — issued statements condemning the killings and promising that “criminal murderers” would pay. However, questions persist about his visibility and control, with some unverified reports earlier circulating about injuries sustained in the initial strikes.
President Masoud Pezeshkian and other remaining officials, including figures from the judiciary and parliament, continue to hold formal roles, but the repeated targeting of high-level coordinators has strained the chain of command. An interim council formed after Khamenei’s death has struggled to maintain cohesion under sustained pressure.
Who’s Next? Uncertainty Amid Ongoing Strikes
Predicting the “next” target is speculative in the fog of active war, but the pattern suggests Israel is prioritizing anyone visibly assuming key security, nuclear, or proxy-coordination roles. Potential vulnerabilities include:
- Acting heads of the Supreme National Security Council or IRGC remnants stepping into Larijani’s and Soleimani’s positions.
- Remaining senior clerics, nuclear scientists, or proxy network managers.
- Any public-facing leaders who expose themselves to intelligence tracking.
Analysts note that while such strikes deliver psychological and operational blows — degrading coordination and forcing survivors underground — they have not yet triggered regime collapse. Rapid replacements, hardened resolve among hardliners, and Iran’s continued missile barrages demonstrate resilience. Some observers argue the campaign risks entrenching more radical elements or complicating diplomatic off-ramps, while others see it as necessary to neutralize existential threats from Iran’s nuclear ambitions and regional proxies.
The conflict, now in its third week as of mid-March 2026, has broader repercussions: oil price shocks, regional escalation risks, and humanitarian concerns. Iran describes the assassinations as acts of aggression; Israel and the US portray them as defensive measures against a regime that has long threatened their security.
This situation remains highly fluid. Leadership voids may accelerate internal fractures or empower the IRGC, but sustained strikes could further erode the Islamic Republic’s ability to function. For the latest developments, reliable international reporting continues to track claims and counter-claims from all sides.
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