Iran's de facto leader has been killed in an Israeli strike.
Ali Larijani, one of Iran's most senior officials and a central figure in the country's security establishment, was killed in an overnight attack in Tehran – days after publicly mocking President Donald Trump.
He had been heading the Supreme National Security Council – Iran's highest security body – and, following the deaths of other senior figures, was widely viewed as the most powerful man in the regime.
He was the architect of the brutal crackdown on protesters in Iran earlier this year.
'He was effectively the leader, the one calling the shots,' an Israeli Military official said. 'He was the de facto leader of Iran, and we believe him to be eliminated in an Israeli Air Force strike last night. He was the one instructing attacks against all states. He was directing fire across the entire region.'
Last night Iranian authorities confirmed he was dead.
Larijani was last seen publicly on Friday in Tehran, appearing alongside senior officials at the Quds Day march. The annual event was established after the Iranian Revolution and reflects the Islamic Republic's long–standing opposition to Israel.
Larijani, 67, struck a defiant tone, mocking Israel and the United States and dismissing recent strikes on Tehran as signs of their 'desperation'.
His killing marks one of the most significant blows to Iran's leadership since the start of the conflict and leaves few senior figures in place after a series of targeted eliminations in recent weeks, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
His son Mojtaba, the new Supreme Leader, has not been seen since the start of the war, fuelling speculation that he may have been seriously injured in the strike that killed his father.
Iranian state media confirmed that Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the country's thuggish Basij force, had also been killed in airstrikes. The Basij is a volunteer militia which is often called out to suppress dissent.
Larijani is closely tied to the suppression of unrest in 2009 as well as the brutality that killed thousands of protesters this January – a campaign in which Soleimani also played a central role.
Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, said: 'Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have instructed the IDF to continue hunting down the leadership of the regime of terror and to repeatedly cut off the head of the octopus and not let it grow.'
Videos on social media showed jubilant Iranian dissidents. Gio Esfandiary told the Daily Mail: 'This is a significant moment, one that brings a sense of relief and hope for many Iranians after years of suffering. Now, we are witnessing, one by one, the removal of those whose hands were stained with blood. We are very thankful to Israel and President Trump.'
Shrapnel from intercepted Iranian missiles fell near some of Jerusalem's most sensitive sites, including the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
