From nuclear negotiator to head of Iranian security. Who was Ari Larijani, who Israel says it eliminated

Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, stated this Tuesday (17) that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) killed Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in a “selective assassination” operation directed against senior Iranian officials that also eliminated Gholamreza Soleimani, leader of the Basij paramilitary force.

Not yet confirmed by Tehran, Larijani’s announced death will be the most significant since the assassination of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei in the attack that two weeks ago marked the beginning of the war between the United States, Israel and Iran.

Ali Larijani was, for decades, described as one of the most influential and pragmatic figures in the Iranian political system. Born in 1958, in Najaf (Iraq), into a wealthy family originally from Amol, he belonged to a powerful dynasty that was often nicknamed “the Kennedys of Iran” by the North American magazine Time, recalls the Al Jazeera.

With a degree in mathematics and computer science and a doctorate in Western philosophy, with a focus on Immanuel Kant, he joined the Revolutionary Guard after the Islamic revolution of 1979, before beginning a long government career.

Over the years, he held key positions in the Iranian regime: he was Minister of Culture, headed the state television IRIB and, in 2005, he became secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and Iran’s main nuclear negotiator. He later presided over parliament for three consecutive terms, having played an important role in approving the 2015 nuclear deal.

He returned last August to his position as responsible for national security, consolidating himself as one of the main figures of the regime, describes Al Jazeera.

According to sources cited by Israel, Larijani would be taking on even more central roles after Khamenei’s death, being seen as the regime’s main political interlocutor in a phase of war.

Larijani was last seen in public last Friday, in Tehran, during Al-Quds Day celebrations – an annual pro-Palestine event held on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan – where he participated in a march alongside other senior officials. At that time, He harshly criticized the attacks against Iran, classifying them as signs of “despair” on the part of his adversaries and accusing US President Donald Trump of underestimating the determination of the Iranian people.

So far, Iranian authorities have not officially confirmed Larijani’s death, but Israel describes the operation as a “great strategic success”.

Gholamreza Soleimani and militia Basij

Another senior Iranian figure that the Israeli armed forces announced they had eliminated is Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij militia, a paramilitary force of volunteers under the supervision of the Revolutionary Guard.

Created in 1979 by former Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Basij brings together civilians mobilized by ideological loyalty to the regime. It is estimated to have around 450 thousand membersincluding not only combatants, but also operatives from different areas.

This paramilitary force has been a central piece of Iran’s internal security structure and its members are frequently deployed to quell protests in Tehran society, having played a relevant role in the repression of recent movements, such as the “Green Revolution” protests of 2009 or the “Woman, Life, Freedom” demonstrations of 2022-2023, highlights Al Jazeera.

Soleimani had a career in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, where he gradually rose through the ranks after having fought as a battalion commander during the Iran-Iraq war, and was considered a hard-line member of the regime, having been the target of sanctions by several Western countries, including the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada.

Larijani and Soleimani are the two most significant casualties of the Iranian regime since the death of the former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, whose newly announced successor, his son Mojtaba Khamenei, was also injured in the attack that eliminated his father, two weeks ago, at the beginning of this war between the USA, Israel and Iran. The health status of the new supreme leader is unknown and has been the reason for several rumors, such as that he may have been transported to Moscow to receive medical assistance for the injuries he suffered.