Larijani and Soleimani Deaths Confirmed by Iran in Overnight Air Strike

Iran acknowledged that senior security figure Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani died in an air strike. Israel said the attack targeted top officials during the third week of fighting with Iran, Israel and the United States. The confirmation followed Israeli statements about an overnight operation aimed at weakening Iran’s leadership.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Larijani and Soleimani were "eliminated" on Tuesday night. Israel also said its forces struck two senior Iranian security officials hours before Iran confirmed the deaths. After Tehran’s statement, Iran launched more missiles and drones towards Israel and Gulf neighbours, according to reports.

Iranian media described the raid as part of wider hostilities involving the US and Israel across the region. Iranian agency Mizan, quoting the Revolutionary Guard, had earlier confirmed Soleimani’s death. Tehran later included both names in a broader acknowledgement. Israel said the same overnight raid killed Soleimani as well as Larijani.

Fars news agency reported Larijani was hit by "American and Zionist regime fighter jets" during a family visit. The report said the strike hit a house in the Pardis district, east of Tehran. Larijani was at a daughter’s residence at the time. Iran linked the incident to the ongoing conflict with Israel and the US.

Larijani, 67, had been viewed as influential since Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death in an Israeli attack on February 28. Iranian reports often called Larijani Khamenei’s right-hand aide before the February 28 strike. Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded the late Ayatollah, yet has not appeared publicly since then.

After February 28, Larijani became the public face of decision-making as Iran faced foreign pressure and domestic unrest. Larijani earlier served as a Revolutionary Guards commander during the Iran-Iraq war. Larijani later became parliamentary speaker and then a senior policy adviser. Analysts often described Larijani as pragmatic, yet firm on protecting Iran’s system.

As an adviser, Larijani reportedly guided Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during nuclear talks with the Trump administration. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Larijani in January, accusing Larijani of "coordinating" Iran’s violent response to nationwide demonstrations. Soleimani also faced sanctions for Basij actions.

Person	Role cited	Sanctions mentioned
Ali Larijani	Senior adviser and security figure	U.S. Treasury, January
Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani	Basij commander	US, European Union, and other countries

Iranian authorities said January’s protests threatened the system that has ruled for 47 years. Iranian reports also identified Larijani and Soleimani as key figures in that crackdown. Iran’s confirmation of the deaths came as Israel described continued efforts to erode Iran’s command structure, while Tehran signalled further escalation through missile and drone launches.