Iran confirms death of security chief Ali Larijani in Israeli strike

Iran has confirmed that its National Security Council chief, Ali Larijani, was killed in an (Israeli) airstrike late Tuesday.

According to Iranian authorities, Israel carried out the attack and was the first to report his death shortly afterward. Nearly a day later, around 3:00am (Bangladesh time) on Wednesday (March 18), Tehran officially confirmed the killing.

Iranian state-affiliated Mehr News Agency reported the development, citing a statement from the National Security Council.

Earlier, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, quoting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said that Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij militia, was also killed in a separate strike.

The IRGC described the attack as carried out by “American-Zionist enemies.”

In its statement on Larijani’s death, Iranian authorities said he “attained martyrdom” after a lifetime of service to the country and the ideals of the Islamic Revolution.

Sources: Mehr News Agency, Al Jazeera