March 17, 2026, 10:35 a.mMar 17, 2026, 10:42 am
The influential Iranian security advisor Ali Larijani is said to be dead. This was reported by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, according to his office. Larijani is said to have been killed in a targeted attack that night. There is no confirmation from Iran.
Ali Larijani is apparently dead.Image: keystone
Larijani was one of the defining figures of the Iranian system. Over the past four decades, he has held numerous key positions, including with the Revolutionary Guard, where he rose to the leadership corps. He later served as Minister of Culture, Head of State Broadcasting and finally President of Parliament.
Ali Larijani was considered a key figure in the suppression of the protests in 2025 and 2026. Observers see him as the mastermind behind the bloody repression in which thousands, possibly tens of thousands of people are said to have been killed. It was he who gave the order to shoot.
After the massacres in January 2026, Donald Trump’s US government placed Larijani on the sanctions list. He was accused of having ordered or at least approved of the violent operations. Contemporary witnesses also report that he always sided with the hardliners in phases of existential threat.
The Basij commander is also said to be dead
According to Israeli sources, in addition to Larijani, the commander of the Iranian Basij units, Brigadier General Gholamresa Soleimani, was also killed.
COMMANDER OF THE BASIJ UNIT ELIMINATED
Yesterday, the IDF targeted & eliminated Gholamreza Soleimani, who operated as commander of the Basij unit for the past 6 years.
Under Soleimani, the Basij unit led the main repression operations in Iran, employing severe violence,… pic.twitter.com/aJ0dNtCFz0
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 17, 2026
The military said the attack took place on Monday in Tehran. There was initially no confirmation of this from Iran. The Basij units under Soleimani’s leadership were responsible for the bloody suppression of protests in Iran in January, the Israeli army wrote.
Gholamresa Soleimani is also said to be dead.Image: keystone
The Basij-e Mostasafin (Mobilized of the Oppressed) is a paramilitary unit in Iran. Founded after the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and recruited from young sections of society, the militia plays a central role in suppressing protests in the country. The militia is part of the Revolutionary Guard and is said to have several hundred thousand supporters loyal to the system. (dab/hkl/sda)