Israel Claims Elimination of Senior Iranian Officials Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani

Israel claimed on March 17, 2026, to have killed two senior Iranian figures in strikes on Iran: Ali Larijani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the paramilitary Basij forces. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the killing of Larijani, according to Israeli media cited by ANSA. The IDF separately announced the death of Gholamreza Soleimani in Iran. Iran moved quickly to cast doubt on at least one of the claims, publishing what it described as a handwritten note written by Larijani after the Israeli announcement. The competing claims left the fate of Larijani unconfirmed as of the afternoon of March 17, 2026.

Iran publishes handwritten note to dispute Israeli claim Iran challenged the Israeli account of Larijani's death by releasing a handwritten note purportedly authored by him following the Israeli announcement, according to reporting by 20 minutos and ANSA. The note was published on social media and was presented as evidence that Larijani remained alive after the strike Israel said had killed him. Israeli media had reported that Defense Minister Katz confirmed the elimination, describing Larijani as a de facto leader of the Iranian regime and head of Iranian security. The authenticity of the note and the circumstances of its writing could not be independently verified based on available sources. The conflicting claims illustrate the difficulty of confirming casualties in Israeli strikes on Iranian territory, where official Iranian communications have previously been used to counter Israeli announcements.

Larijani held some of Iran's most sensitive security posts Ali Larijani, born on June 3, 1958, in Najaf, Iraq, was an Iranian politician, retired military officer, and philosopher who had served as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council since 2025, according to the person registry. He had previously held the same position from 2005 to 2007. Larijani also served for years as Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, making him one of the most prominent figures in the Islamic Republic's political establishment. Reporting by RTS and SudOuest described him as the de facto leader of the Iranian regime and a central figure in its security architecture. His long career placed him at the intersection of Iran's military, intelligence, and legislative institutions.

Ali Larijani previously served as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council from 2005 to 2007 before returning to the role in 2025. He also served as Speaker of the Iranian Parliament for multiple terms, cementing his status as one of the most influential figures in the Islamic Republic. Gholamreza Soleimani has served as commander of the Basij forces, a paramilitary organization subordinate to the IRGC. Despite sharing a surname, Gholamreza Soleimani is not related to Qasem Soleimani, the IRGC Quds Force commander killed in a U.S. drone strike in January 2020.

Basij commander's death separately confirmed by IDF The IDF announced the killing of Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij paramilitary forces, in Iran on March 17, 2026. Soleimani, born in 1964, is a senior officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and led the Basij, a militia used for both external operations and internal security functions. Le Parisien reported the Israeli army's announcement of his elimination, describing him as the general commanding the Basij militia. Iran had not publicly disputed the claim regarding Gholamreza Soleimani as of the available reporting. Despite sharing a surname with Qasem Soleimani, the two men are not related, according to the person registry. The strikes, if confirmed, would represent a significant escalation in Israeli operations targeting Iranian military and security leadership on Iranian soil.