Tel Aviv [Israel], March 17 (ANI): Israel’s military escalation in West Asia intensified sharply on Tuesday after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that it had eliminated Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani, in what Israeli leadership described as a major blow to Iran’s power structure.
In a strongly worded statement following the killings, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the operation, saying, “This morning, we eliminated Ali Larijani,” whom he described as a central figure in Iran’s ruling establishment and closely tied to its military apparatus.
Netanyahu further asserted that Israel is conducting aerial operations deep inside Iranian territory, aimed at weakening the regime and creating conditions for internal change as the conflict in the region continues.
“Ali Larijani is the boss of the Revolutionary Guards, that group of gangsters that effectively runs Iran. Alongside him, we also eliminated the commander of the Basij – they are the gangsters’ assistants who are terrorising the population in the streets of Tehran and other Iranian cities. We are operating there as well, operating from the air with Air Force jets and UAVs. We are undermining this regime in the hope of giving the Iranian people an opportunity to remove it,” Netanyahu said.
He stated that he had spoken with US President Donald Trump, adding that Israeli and American forces were cooperating through both direct and indirect means against the Islamic Republic.
“It will not happen all at once, and it will not happen easily. But if we persist, we will give them the chance to take their destiny into their own hands. At the same time, we are helping our American friends in the Gulf. I spoke at length with President Trump on this matter yesterday. There is cooperation between our air forces and navies and between President Trump and his staff and me. We will assist both through indirect attacks, which create immense pressure on the Iranian regime, and through direct actions. There are many more surprises. ‘By stratagems, you shall make war.’ We will not reveal all the stratagems here, but as I told you, there are many,” the Israeli PM said.
Earlier today, the IDF, in separate statements on X, confirmed the death of Larijani, who has served as Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and played a key role in suppressing anti-government protests.
It also confirmed the killing of Soleimani, stating he led the Basij unit responsible for “repression operations” involving arrests and use of force against demonstrators.
“Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and the regime’s effective leader, has been eliminated. Throughout the years, Larijani was considered one of the most veteran and senior figures within the Iranian regime leadership and was a close associate of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei,” the IDF post read.
“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, widespread arrests, and the use of force against civilian demonstrators,” the IDF stated in a separate post.
Both were killed in the same series of overnight strikes by the IDF on Tehran.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also echoed Nethauahu’s stance, claiming the operation improved security conditions for Iranian citizens.
“He had a $10 million price on his head in the US–we did it for free anyhow,” Saar said, referring to Larijani.
He further issued a warning to Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, stating that it was embarrassing for him to be in hiding.
“We still haven’t seen anything from Mojtaba… He can continue to hide but why not show your face? It’s becoming a little embarrassing for the Regime,” he stated.
This development comes amid the escalating conflict that began on February 28 with the killing of 86-year-old Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint military strikes by the US and Israel, after which Iran, in its retaliation, targeted Israeli and US assets in several Gulf countries and Israel, causing disruption in the waterway and affecting international energy markets and global economic stability.
Due to the conflict in the region, Iran has virtually closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical transit route for global energy supply.
Following the death of Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the former leader, was appointed as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic.
Meanwhile, the IDF warned of imminent retaliation from Hezbollah, saying it had detected preparations for large-scale rocket attacks toward Israel. The military said its air defence systems and border troops remain on high alert.
Israeli forces also reported continued strikes on Hezbollah-linked targets in Lebanon, including command centres in Beirut and rocket launch sites in the Beqaa Valley.
The developments mark a significant escalation in the ongoing regional conflict, raising concerns of a broader confrontation involving Iran, its regional allies, and Israel. (ANI)