Ali Larijani, Iran’s top national security official and one of the regime’s most powerful figures, was killed in overnight strikes on March 17, 2026. He was 67. In a statement carried by Iran’s semi-official Mehr news, the country’s Supreme National Security Council confirmed the assassination of its secretary, Larijani. His X account (@alilarijani_ir) also confirmed the news by posting the death of his death.
Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, was among the most senior leaders still alive after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed at the very start of the war. He was one of the regime’s most experienced insiders and deeply trusted by the late Khamenei.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council released a statement confirming Larijani was killed along with his son, Morteza Larijani, the head of his office, Alireza Bayat, and several guards.
Larijani belonged to a dynasty so influential that Time magazine once described them as the “Kennedys of Iran.” His brothers held powerful positions across Iran’s judiciary and other key institutions. He had at times effectively been running the country’s day-to-day strategy, and figures like him are often the ones who help manage not just how wars are fought but how they end.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the killing of Larijani would not deal a fatal blow to Iran’s leadership, stating that “the Islamic Republic of Iran has a strong political structure with established political, economic, and social institutions.”
