DUBAI — Iranian authorities confirmed Tuesday, March 17, 2026, that Ali Larijani, 67, a senior Iranian security official long seen as a conservative force within the theocracy, was killed in an Israeli strike, officials said.
FILE – Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani gives a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Dec. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)
By Associated Press
Circumstances of his death
Iranian authorities said Larijani was killed in an Israeli strike. Israel had said earlier Tuesday that it had killed Larijani; Iranian confirmation followed several hours later. The Supreme National Security Council reported that Larijani’s son, Morteza Larijani, was also killed.
Career and political role
Larijani was a prominent conservative official and had been widely believed to be running the country since the beginning of the war that followed the killing of Iran’s supreme leader. He served in several senior posts over decades: he was Iran’s culture minister in the 1990s, served as speaker of parliament from 2008 to 2020, and most recently led the Supreme National Security Council.
He had been appointed to advise Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on strategy in nuclear talks with the Trump administration and traveled to Oman to meet with mediators two weeks before the war began. Like other top Iranian leaders, Larijani had been subject to U.S. sanctions and was implicated in the violent repression of mass protests in January, according to previous reporting.
Public voice and personal background
Larijani was born into one of Iran’s most prominent political families. His brothers, Sadeq and Mohammad Javad Larijani, held senior positions in Iran’s judiciary and foreign affairs structures, respectively. He wrote at least six philosophy books, including three on the works of Immanuel Kant.
In the days before the escalation, Larijani also used social media to answer international threats. On X, after a week in which U.S. President Donald Trump threatened further action, Larijani wrote: “The sacrificial nation of Iran doesn’t fear your empty threats. Even those bigger than you couldn’t eliminate Iran. Be careful not to get eliminated yourself.”
Context and what was reported
News organizations reported that Iran’s supreme leader had been killed in U.S. and Israeli strikes late last month, an event that helped spark the wider conflict. Larijani was viewed by many as a senior adviser and a central figure in Iran’s wartime leadership. Iranian officials provided confirmation of his death on March 17, 2026.
There have been no further official statements about funeral arrangements or other details from Iranian authorities in the reporting available.
Image Referance: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/03/17/ali-larijani-dead/d8a6019a-2252-11f1-954a-6300919c9854_story.html