- Iran's top security official Ali Larijani was assassinated in a US-Israel strike
- Larijani's death was confirmed along with his son and senior aides by Iranian media
- Israeli intelligence used Tehran sources to identify Larijani's location before the strike
Iran's top security official, Ali Larijani, was assassinated by the US and Israel using information provided by sources in Tehran, an Israeli official has said.
The strike early Tuesday killed Larijani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, along with his son and senior aides, Iranian state media later confirmed.
"The assassination of Larijani was made possible thanks to valuable intelligence that Israeli intelligence services received from residents of Tehran over the past 24 hours," the official told Iran International.
The senior Israeli source said that in recent days, Larijani had “behaved arrogantly, appearing frequently in public,” including at mass rallies and in engagement with local and international media. These actions exposed him to public view and ultimately led to his identification.
Larijani had been seen as a key bridge between Iran's political establishment and its military apparatus, involved in both international negotiations and internal security operations.
Israeli intelligence officials said they continue to receive multiple reports that “precisely guide them to the locations of Basij and IRGC checkpoints.”
Iran's military leadership has vowed retaliation. Major General Amir Hatami, chief of the Iranian army, threatened a “decisive and regrettable” response to Larijani's assassination.
IRGC described Larijani as a “distinguished figure, thinker [and] revolutionary politician” and said that “the pure blood of this great martyr, like other dear martyrs, will be a source of honour, strength, and national awakening.”
It added, “The IRGC will certainly not forget the bloodlust of this great martyr and other martyrs.”
Later that day, Iran launched a barrage of missiles targeting parts of central Israel, including near Tel Aviv, carrying cluster warheads in what state media described as retaliation for the killing of Larijani and other officials.
Unprovoked US-Israeli strikes on Iran also assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials on February 28.
The targeted missile strikes also hit an elementary school in Minab, killing around 180 children.
US President Donald Trump relied on an early, unverified intelligence assessment for the deadly strike, the Guardian reported.
Retaliatory strikes from Iran have since followed.
On Tuesday, Joe Kent, the US National Counterterrorism Centre director, resigned over the war on Iran. In his resignation letter, Kent said that Iran posed “no imminent threat” to the US and claimed the war began due to pressure from Israel and its allies.
