Targeting of Ali Larijani in Tehran Sparks Controversy Over His Fate Amid Conflicting Accounts
The Israeli military announced today that it targeted prominent Iranian politician Ali Larijani in an airstrike in the capital, Tehran, last night. Israeli sources spoke of his “neutralization” but did not provide definitive confirmation regarding his death.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that the operation targeted “one of the key decision-makers in Iran”. In a related development, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released an image of him monitoring the military operations, without additional details about the results of the strike.
Israeli media, including Channel 12, reported from a senior official that Larijani was in a “secret location” in Tehran at the time of the targeting, highlighting that the operation was carried out based on accurate intelligence.
On the Iranian side, authorities have yet to issue any formal confirmation regarding Larijani’s death. Meanwhile, the Mehr news agency announced that a message attributed to him would be published, raising questions about his true fate and whether he is still alive.
The Israeli army’s statement indicated that the operation falls within a “series of targeted strikes against command centers in Iran,” noting that targeting figures of this level constitutes “a blow to the security and political decision-making system.”
Israeli media estimates suggest that this operation is part of a broader escalation aimed at first-tier leaders in Iran amid rising tensions in the region and repeated statements about expanding the scope of such targets.
Observers argue that the ambiguity surrounding Larijani’s fate reflects the nature of the undeclared confrontation between the two sides, where field operations intertwine with the media war, while conflicting narratives prevail, awaiting an official confirmation to settle the ongoing debate.
