According to Katz, "Larijani and the commander of the Basij were eliminated in one night, joining the head of the destruction program Khamenei and many other liquidated members of the 'axis of evil' in hell," reports the Times of Israel.
So far, Iranian authorities have not made any official statements regarding this matter.
According to a source from Israeli Channel 12, information that Larijani was supposed to meet at his secret residence in Tehran came on March 16. He was there with his son when the strike occurred.
“After such a strike, he had no chance of survival,” noted the source from the TV channel.
The Israel Defense Forces also confirmed that as a result of a "targeted strike" in Tehran, the commander of the Basij volunteer force, Gholamreza Soleimani, was killed. This force is subordinate to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and is responsible for suppressing anti-government protests in the country.
Ali Larijani became the highest-ranking Iranian official to be killed since the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The New York Times reported that shortly before the attack, Larijani had effectively become the leader of Iran, receiving tasks from Khamenei to suppress protests and prepare for a possible war. He also maintained connections with key partners of Tehran: Russia, Qatar, and Oman, and oversaw negotiations with the U.S. regarding Iran's nuclear program.
