Israel Says Iran Security Chief, Basij Commander Killed
Last update: March 17, 2026
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If confirmed, Larijani will be the most senior Iranian figure killed since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei''s killing...
Israel said on Tuesday it had killed Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani and Basij militia commander Gholamreza Soleimani in overnight airstrikes, as hostilities with Iran intensified into a third week.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said he had been informed by the military of the killings, though there was no immediate confirmation from Tehran.
Iranian state media earlier published a handwritten note attributed to Larijani commemorating sailors killed in a U.S. attack, with their funeral expected on Tuesday.
If confirmed, Larijani would be the most senior Iranian figure killed since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was reported killed at the outset of Israeli-U.S. airstrikes on Feb. 28.
Israel has stepped up its campaign against Iranian leadership, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying he had ordered the “elimination of senior officials of the Iranian regime.”
The Basij is a paramilitary force under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, often deployed to suppress internal dissent.
The conflict has driven up global energy prices, with the Strait of Hormuz largely closed, disrupting flows of oil and liquefied natural gas.
Fighting continued overnight, with Iran launching missiles at Israel, while the Israeli military said it was targeting Iranian infrastructure in Tehran and sites linked to Hezbollah in Beirut.
