Tehran (Somalia Today) – Israel said Tuesday it had killed two of Iran’s most senior security figures in overnight strikes, deepening the crisis at the top of the Islamic Republic as the war entered its third week.
Iran did not immediately confirm either death, but launched fresh missile and drone attacks that jolted Gulf states, disrupted commercial flights, and sharpened fears over the global energy market.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the dead were Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and General Gholam Reza Soleimani, head of the Basij paramilitary force.
If confirmed, the deaths would amount to one of the most serious blows to Iran’s leadership since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the conflict.
Israel’s military said it had launched a “wide-scale wave of strikes” across Tehran, while stepping up attacks on Iran-backed targets elsewhere in the region.
Closing ranks
Larijani, 67, came from one of Iran’s most influential political families and served as parliament speaker from 2008 to 2020.
Often seen as a conservative pragmatist, he played a prominent role in Iran’s political establishment and remained closely involved in nuclear policy during years of tense negotiations with world powers.
He was later disqualified by the Guardian Council from running in the 2021 and 2024 presidential elections, but re-emerged as a key figure in wartime decision-making after Khamenei’s death.
Washington sanctioned Larijani in January, accusing him of coordinating the state’s response to nationwide protests.
His reported killing would remove a veteran negotiator and one of the most politically experienced figures in the Islamic Republic at a time of acute pressure on the leadership.
Soleimani had led the Basij since 2019 and was closely tied to Iran’s internal security apparatus.
The Basij, a volunteer force operating under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has long helped suppress dissent and enforce the state’s ideological codes.
He was widely associated with crackdowns on anti-government protests, including the unrest that followed the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.
Western governments sanctioned him over his role in human rights abuses and the suppression of dissent.
Festival of fire
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel launched the strikes to weaken the regime and give Iranians the chance to decide their own future.
But there was little immediate sign that the killings had triggered fresh anti-government unrest in Tehran.
Instead, many Iranians appeared to be sheltering from the bombardment as the authorities sought to project control ahead of Chaharshanbe Souri, the Festival of Fire held on the eve of the Persian New Year.
State media broadcast images of pro-government gatherings on Tuesday, while footage circulating online showed armed plainclothes men riding motorcycles through Tehran, a familiar sign of the state’s readiness to deter unrest.
US intelligence assessments have concluded that Iran’s system remains intact and has in some respects grown more hardline under wartime pressure.
Rather than weakening, the Revolutionary Guards appear to be tightening their hold on the state apparatus and political life.
Hormuz fears
Beyond the battlefield, the war’s economic consequences were becoming more pronounced.
The United Arab Emirates briefly shut its airspace because of missile and drone threats, the second major disruption to Gulf aviation in as many days.
But the deeper concern for global markets remains the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway linking the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.
Around a fifth of the world’s oil consumption passes through the chokepoint, which also serves as the main export route for liquefied natural gas from Qatar.
Iran has increased pressure around the route, raising alarm in global energy markets.
Shipping and maritime officials have warned that naval escorts may not be enough to guarantee safe passage if the conflict escalates further.
Oil prices have already risen as traders weigh the risk of further damage to Gulf infrastructure and tanker traffic.
The conflict has increasingly become a threat not only to regional stability but also to the wider global economy.
Analysts fear prolonged disruption to maritime traffic could fuel inflation and strain supply chains far beyond the Middle East.
At the same time, the war’s reach has widened through allied militias and proxy fronts.
Attacks linked to Iran-backed forces have continued in Iraq and the Red Sea, while Israel has pressed its campaign against Hezbollah-linked targets in Lebanon.
With no sign that either side is ready to step back, the latest exchanges suggest a war entering a broader and more dangerous phase.
