Israel has claimed the killing of Iran’s powerful national security chief Ali Larijani.
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said Larijani was “eliminated last night,” though Tehran has yet to confirm the loss of one of its most senior figures. If verified, the strike would mark another decisive blow to a regime already shaken by the February 28 U.S.-Israeli operation that killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Larijani, 68, was a central architect of Iran’s nuclear posture and regional strategy, and had emerged as a key power broker after Khamenei’s death. His removal signals a clear objective shared by Washington and Jerusalem: to cripple the regime’s ability to project power and threaten its neighbours.
Since the October 7 Hamas attacks, Israel has pursued a sustained campaign of targeted strikes against hostile leadership figures, including Hezbollah and Iranian-backed militias. Officials said this week’s operations also killed Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani and targeted Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Akram al-Ajouri.
U.S. President Donald Trump has strongly backed Israel’s actions, warning that Iran’s aggression would carry consequences and urging allies to help secure global energy routes. Tehran’s retaliation—targeting Gulf states and threatening shipping through the Strait of Hormuz—has reinforced Washington’s case that the conflict extends far beyond Israel.
Yet key European governments have hesitated, declining to commit NATO forces despite mounting risks to global trade. That reluctance risks weakening Western deterrence at a critical moment.
With oil prices rising and instability spreading, supporters argue the U.S.-Israel strategy is restoring deterrence against a regime long accused of destabilising the Middle East.
