Tehran, March 18 (SANA) Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said Tuesday that its head, Ali Larijani, was killed in an Israeli airstrike, marking a sharp escalation in tensions between the two sides.
The council said Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij Forces, was also killed in the strike. Reports cited by AFP said Larijani’s son and members of his security detail were among the dead.
Israel had earlier said its air force carried out overnight operations targeting senior Iranian figures, including Larijani and Soleimani.
The strike comes amid an intensifying confrontation. Since late February, U.S. and Israeli military strikes against Iran have reportedly resulted in more than 1,000 deaths, including senior political and military officials.
Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting sites in Israel and elsewhere in the region, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure.
R.H