Israeli military strike targets Iran’s security chief Larijani, fate unclear

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DUBAI – Israel’s military has targeted Iran’s security chief, Mr Ali Larijani, but it was not immediately clear whether he was killed or injured, four Israeli officials have said.

Mr Larijani was one of the targets of strikes carried out by the Israeli military late on March 16 across Iran, the officials told Reuters.

Iran has not yet commented on the report. If his death is confirmed, he would be the most senior Iranian official to be killed after Iran’s former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died on the first day of the war on Feb 28.

Mr Larijani, a former nuclear negotiator and a close ally of Mr Khamenei, was seen in Tehran on March 13 taking part in Quds Day rallies.

Later that day, the United States offered a reward of up to US$10 million (S$13 million) for information on senior Iranian military and intelligence officials, including Mr Larijani, as part of a list of 10 figures linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Multiple Israeli media outlets also said the strikes targeted Mr Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij Resistance Force and other senior Basij figures.

Israel’s military later said Mr Soleimani was killed in a “precise strike in Tehran”. REUTERS, AFP