The Iranian authorities confirmed the tragic news of the death of Ali Larijani, who held the position of Secretary of the National Security Council of the country.
According to the Tasnim agency, Larijani's son Mortaza and his head of security also died.
The President of Iran, Pezeshkian, stated the intention to "take brutal revenge" on those responsible for Larijani's death, as reported by the Mehr agency.
This reaction from Iran followed Israel's announcement of its involvement in the killings of Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani, the commander of the Basij forces.
Additionally, Iran attacked central areas of Israel, resulting in the deaths of at least two people and significant damage.
Escalation of the conflict: new missiles from Iran
Explosions were heard in central Israel, in the Gush Dan area, as reported by Channel 12, citing warnings from the Israeli military about missile strikes.
According to reports, one missile was successfully intercepted, while debris from the explosions damaged several cars in Holon, some of which caught fire.
Sultan al-Hulaifi, a senior researcher at the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, noted that Israel appears to continue its "decapitation" tactic against Iranian leadership; however, the power structure in Iran remains strong.
"This is an institutional system, unlike Iraq and Afghanistan," he commented in an interview with Al Jazeera, adding that the death of one person does not mean that others will not take their place.
The Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, also commented on the situation in an interview with Al Jazeera, stating that the killings of high-profile officials cannot stop the Iranian government.
"I do not understand why the Americans and Israelis do not understand this: the Islamic Republic of Iran has a powerful political structure that includes established institutions," Araghchi noted.
"The absence or presence of specific individuals does not matter to this structure," he added, emphasizing the stability of the Iranian political system.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he is not afraid of a possible "second Vietnam" in the event of a ground operation in Iran.
He dismissed Tehran's warnings that such a step would lead to a protracted war for the U.S., commenting on the Iranian side's words in an interview with Sky News.
When reminded of Iran's statement, Trump confidently replied: "No, I am not afraid. In fact, I am not afraid of anything."
The President also emphasized that the U.S. no longer needs NATO's assistance.
"Most of our NATO allies do not want to participate in our military operation against Iran, despite the general agreement that Tehran should not possess nuclear weapons," Trump noted.
He added that the U.S. has already dealt a serious blow to Iran's military potential, destroying its navy and air force, as well as eliminating leadership at all levels, which he believes minimizes their threat.
Nevertheless, doubts about this optimism are emerging in the U.S. As reported by the WSJ, a high-profile counterterrorism official resigned due to the conflict with Iran.
Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, expressed his doubts about the war, stating that Iran does not pose an immediate threat to the U.S., and pointed to pressure from Israel as the reason for the conflict's onset.
In his statement, Kent said he supported Trump's foreign policy but became disillusioned with its current direction, which he believes does not align with the original goals of preventing "endless wars."
After Kent's resignation, Trump reacted to his words, calling him "weak" on security issues and stating that Iran indeed poses a threat.
Netanyahu acts as the "liberator" of Iran
Author: Rory Chellands
Reporting from Amman, Jordan.
Israel believes that the step-by-step dismantling of the Iranian leadership in the security sphere is being carried out by them.
The killings of Larijani and Soleimani are viewed as significant blows to the Iranian leadership, as evidenced by Israel's actions since the conflict began on February 28.
Larijani is labeled by Netanyahu as the leader of a gang, while Soleimani is portrayed as a tyrant, which, according to Israeli authorities, makes these killings strikes against the repressive regime of Iran.
Although Larijani may be more important of the two, Israel's focus is on Soleimani, as it better fits Netanyahu's narrative, who is trying to convince Iranians that he is on their side and that he is the liberator of their country.
It remains unclear whether this will lead to an uprising and the overthrow of the "ayatollahs," but it is worth noting that in recent weeks, Israeli airstrikes have resulted in the deaths of many civilians in Iran.
Brief overview of recent events
- Iran confirmed the killings of Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani after Israel announced its involvement in these events.
- Iran continues to strike central Israel, resulting in at least two deaths.
- Gulf countries report intercepting Iranian missiles and drones amid the attacks.
- Explosions occurred in Baghdad related to rocket attacks on the U.S. embassy.
- Joe Kent resigned due to the war with Iran, citing the lack of a threat from Tehran.
- Trump criticized NATO countries for refusing to participate in military operations against Iran and noted that Kent's resignation is a "good thing."
- Israel warns of the need to evacuate residents of Tyre due to new airstrikes.
The post Iranian authorities vowed to take revenge for the death of the Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic, Ali Larijani. What else happened? first appeared on K-News.
