Overview
- Tehran’s Supreme National Security Council confirmed Larijani was killed in a targeted strike at his daughter’s residence in the Pardis district, with his son Mortaza, a deputy, and bodyguards also among the dead.
- Iran’s leadership blamed the United States and Israel, with Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian promising retaliation following large funeral processions in the capital.
- The IRGC said it launched retaliatory attacks on roughly 100 military and security targets, a claim that could not be independently verified.
- Multiple reports, including accounts citing Israeli sources, allege Larijani was located through surveillance, human intelligence and unspecified “special capabilities,” with a rapid strike decision attributed to IDF chief Eyal Zamir.
- China’s foreign ministry called the killing and attacks on civilian targets unacceptable and urged all parties to halt military operations, as regional religious leaders issued condemnations and expressions of solidarity with Iran.