Israel claims strike kills top Iranian security officials
Israel's Minister of Defence, Israel Katz, announced on Tuesday that Iranian Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani and Basij militia commander Gholamreza Soleimani were killed by Israeli strikes. Katz made the claim in a social media post, stating the killings weaken Iran's 'repression mechanism' and strategic capabilities. The announcement follows the February 28 assassination of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, also attributed to Israel. Iran has not confirmed the latest killings but delayed acknowledging Khamenei's death until hours after Israeli-US reports. Larijani, a key nuclear negotiator and adviser to the late Khamenei, was recently seen at a pro-Palestinian rally in Tehran. His death, if confirmed, would mark another high-profile loss in the ongoing conflict. Israel's foreign minister stated Iranians are 'safer' without Larijani, who was also involved in organising pro-government activities through the Basij militia.