Photo- Israel has claimed that Ali Larijani (R) , secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Gholamreza Soleimani (L) , commander of the Basij militia have been killed
Ali Larijani, Iran’s top security official, was killed in an overnight strike, the Israeli military said. His death would deal another severe blow to Iran’s power structure.
Here’s the latest.
The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it had killed one of Iran’s highest-ranking leaders, Ali Larijani, in an overnight airstrike near Tehran, dealing another severe blow to a power structure already decimated by three weeks of U.S.-Israeli strikes.
The killing of Mr. Larijani — who became Iran’s de facto leader after U.S.-Israeli airstrikes killed the upper echelons of Iran’s government and military — removes one of Iran’s most prominent voices of defiance. But Mr. Larijani was also an influential pragmatist who was seen as having the clout to negotiate with the United States, and his death could embolden even more hard-line Iranian leaders who believe that the Islamic republic can survive only by doubling down.
Hezbollah’s command centers- The Israeli military said on Tuesday it had struck command centers belonging to Hezbollah in the Lebanese capital a short while ago. It said it also targeted “launch sites” In Israel, meanwhile, local government officials have been urging residents near the Lebanon border to remain vigilant ahead of what the Israeli military said might be an expansion of rocket fire by the militant group in the coming hours.
Latest blow to Iran’s leadership – The killings of Ali Larijani, Iran’s top security official, and Gholamreza Soleimani, the commander of the Basij paramilitary forces, represent the latest blows to Iran’s leadership since the start of the U.S.-Israeli strikes. The initial attacks killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several other senior officials. Here are the top Iranian leaders targeted so far in the war.
Strait of Hormuz- France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, reiterated that his country would take part in operations only to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz once hostilities in the region had eased. His position puts France alongside Germany and other allies in rebuffing President Trump’s call for military help in opening the strategically critical waterway. “We are not a party to the conflict, and, therefore, France will never take part in operations to open or liberate the Strait of Hormuz in the current context,” Macron said. “France did not choose this war.”
Increased preparations by Hezbollah– The Israeli military said it had detected increased preparations by Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, to launch rockets from Lebanon toward Israel in the coming hours. It said Israeli forces were on high alert and were working to counter any barrages. The Israeli military’s statement came shortly after Israel announced that it had killed Ali Larijani, Iran’s top security official
New York Times
