Israel claims it killed senior Iranian official Ali Larijani and Basij commander in latest strikes

Published March 17, 2026 6:18am ET



The Israeli military claimed it killed two Iranian officials, the secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, Ali Larijani, and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s Basij unit, Gholamreza Soleimani, in overnight airstrikes.

Their deaths mark the latest members of Iran’s leadership killed since the U.S.-Israel joint military operation began on Feb. 28. Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed during the first day of the strikes. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was named his successor, but he is suspected to have also been injured in military strikes, as he has not been seen since being named Iran’s supreme leader.

Already a print subscriber? Click here to login/register your account

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.