Israeli strikes reportedly kill top Iranian security official and Basij commander

On March 17, 2026, Israeli forces conducted targeted airstrikes in Tehran, reportedly killing Ali Larijani, the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, and Gholamreza Soleimani, the commander of the Basij paramilitary force. Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, confirmed the operation, claiming it weakens the Iranian regime. Reports also indicate the death of Ali Bateni, Larijani's deputy. While Israel claims these as successful strikes based on local intelligence, Iranian authorities have not issued an official confirmation and have attempted to deny Larijani's death. Gholamreza Soleimani, who had led the 450,000-member Basij force since 2019, was a key figure in Iran's internal security. Larijani was considered a de facto leader and a pragmatic political strategist with deep ties to the Iranian power structure. The Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar noted that the operation was carried out without claiming the 10-million-dollar bounty previously offered by the U.S. for information on Larijani.