The assassination of Ali Larijani, Iran's top security official, in an alleged Israeli strike has sent shockwaves through the region, prompting vows of revenge and raising concerns about escalating tensions.
Key Points
- Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, was killed in an alleged Israeli strike, impacting Iran's leadership.
- Gen Gholam Reza Soleimani, head of the Revolutionary Guard's Basij force, also died in the attack.
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian mourned Larijani's death, praising his contributions to regional peace and security.
- Iranian officials have issued stern warnings and vowed revenge against those responsible for the assassination, particularly the 'terrorist Zionist regime'.
- Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf honoured Larijani as a dedicated fighter and a symbol of the Islamic Revolution.
Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and the country's most powerful official since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death, killed in an Israeli strike, Iranian authorities confirmed.
The Iranian judiciary's news agency, Mizan, also confirmed the death of Gen Gholam Reza Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard's all-volunteer Basij force.
Top Iranian Leaders Vow 'Severe Revenge'
In a formal condolence message, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed deep grief over the loss, describing Larijani as a "virtuous, precious, and dear brother".
The president remarked that the late official was an "outstanding and valuable figure who, throughout the era of the Islamic Republic, served in various capacities, yielding extensive and diverse results".
Pezeshkian highlighted their professional history together in the Islamic Consultative Assembly and Larijani's recent leadership at the security council, stating that he "witnessed nothing but goodwill, keen insight, companionship, and foresight from him".
State broadcaster Press TV reported that the president noted the difficulty of replacing such a figure, suggesting that the manner of his death was a "reward for his lifelong struggle and the fulfilment of a long-held wish".
He added that while Larijani's "blood was spilled by the most criminal regime in human history", being placed among the figures of the revolution was his "merit and the long-held wish of this dear brother."
Pezeshkian further characterised Larijani as "an outstanding example of those nurtured in the school of Imam Khomeini, Imam Khamenei, and the great master of the Islamic Revolution, Martyr Murtaza Motahhari".
Reflecting on Larijani's final role, the president stated that he "exerted his utmost effort to expand peace and security in the region and foster empathy and strengthen brotherhood among Islamic nations".
He argued that Larijani had developed an "international persona in the arena of international security and resistance, becoming a target of the spite of the terrorist Zionist regime".
Press TV reported that a stern warning was issued to those behind the attack, with Pezeshkian declaring that "undoubtedly, a severe revenge awaits the terrorist criminals who have stained their foul hands with the blood of the innocent".
According to Press TV, he affirmed that the nation's path would continue and that a "definitive victory awaits the great nation of Iran".
Larijani's Role After Khamenei's Death
Larijani was widely believed to be running the country following the killing of its supreme leader in US and Israeli strikes late last month.
Larijani, who served as the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), was killed alongside his son, Morteza Larijani, and his SNSC deputy, Alireza Bayat. Several security personnel also lost their lives in the incident.
Earlier, Larijani had issued a message asserting that Iran would remain steadfast against the US and Israel, while calling for unity in the Muslim world.
Reactions to Larijani's Death
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also paid his respects, stating that such an end "is a garment that does not fit everybody".
He described it as "an art that distinguishes the men of God, who are true and steadfast to their covenants, from others. It is the ultimate blessedness and the aspiration of all fighters on the path of truth."
Qalibaf remembered his colleague as an "indefatigable fighter and a soldier in love with his homeland", noting his history as a "courageous Speaker of three terms of the Islamic Consultative Assembly".
He described the event as "another golden leaf in the honours of the martyr-nurturing movement of the Great Imam Khomeini".
The Speaker added that the path of the revolution "does not stop with assassination and will continue until the destruction of the front of disbelief and hypocrisy".
He noted that Larijani had accepted his security role during a "turbulent period for the country" following the recent conflict and remained dedicated to his duty until he was killed.
Judiciary chief Mohseni Ejei also issued a tribute, stating that Larijani "received from God Almighty the reward for his long years of struggle" by "drinking the sweet nectar of martyrdom".
Press TV noted that Ejei praised Larijani's "high managerial and decision-making capacity, courage and eloquence in speech", and his "sacrifice and steadfastness in the path of the ideals and values of the Islamic Revolution".
The head of the judiciary assured that the Iranian military, backed by public support, would "exact revenge for the pure blood of this dear martyr" from those he described as "the criminal America and the barbaric Zionist regime".
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