Faith Nyasuguta
One of Iran’s most influential political figures may be gone. Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz says Iranian security chief Ali Larijani has been killed, a claim that – if confirmed – would strike a major blow to Tehran’s leadership at a moment of mounting regional conflict.
Iranian authorities have not yet officially confirmed the report. Larijani had become one of the most visible figures in Iran’s political establishment during the escalating confrontation involving Iran, Israel and the United States. His reported death comes amid deep instability following earlier strikes that reportedly killed Iran’s longtime supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
In the wake of that shock, leadership of the Islamic Republic shifted to Mojtaba Khamenei, though the new leader has largely stayed out of public view. Larijani, by contrast, had emerged as one of the regime’s most prominent voices.
Just days before the reported attack, he appeared at a pro-government rally in Tehran, projecting defiance despite growing military pressure on the country.
A veteran insider, Larijani spent decades embedded in Iran’s political and security establishment. He served as head of the Supreme National Security Council, the powerful body responsible for coordinating defence policy and overseeing Iran’s nuclear strategy.
Analysts often described him as a skilled operator who understood both the ideological foundations of Iran’s political system and the limits of diplomacy with the West.
Born in Iraq to a well-known clerical family, Larijani built an unusually broad career across Iran’s institutions. Early in his life he served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, before moving into media and politics. He later became head of Iran’s state broadcasting network and went on to serve more than a decade as speaker of parliament.
He was also deeply involved in international diplomacy. Larijani acted as Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator during talks with Western governments and backed the landmark Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear agreement in 2015 before the deal unravelled after Washington withdrew.
In recent years he had re-emerged on the diplomatic stage, quietly engaging Gulf states as Tehran explored possible negotiations before the current conflict erupted.
Despite being viewed by some observers as a pragmatic figure, Larijani remained a staunch defender of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. In 2025 he warned that sustained external pressure could push Iran toward developing nuclear weapons.
The United States had also placed sanctions on him over the government’s response to nationwide protests, which rights groups say were met with deadly force.
If his death is confirmed, Iran would lose one of its most experienced power brokers – at a moment when the region is already edging closer to wider war.
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