Iran has confirmed that one of its most powerful security figures has been k!lled in an Israeli strike, marking a dramatic escalation in the ongoing conflict

 

Ali Larijani, one of Iran’s most senior officials and a central figure in the country’s security establishment, was k!lled 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 de@ths of other senior figures, was widely viewed as the most powerful man in the regime.

 

He was also 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 de@d.

 

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, had mocked Israel and the United States, dismissing recent strikes on Tehran as signs of their ‘desperation’.

 

His killing marks another significant blow to Iran’s leadership since the start of the conflict, which has also killed 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.