Israel claims it finally got him. Overnight airstrikes in Tehran reportedly killed Ali Larijani, the man who was basically running the show in Iran after the supreme leader’s death. If these reports are right, the "de facto leader" of the Islamic Republic is gone, and the country's power structure is in a total tailspin.
This isn't just another name on a target list. Larijani was the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. He was the guy holding the pieces together after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed back on February 28. While the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, hasn't been seen in public for weeks, Larijani was the visible face of the regime’s defiance. Now, that face is reportedly buried under the rubble of a Tehran apartment.
The night Tehran shook
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) didn't just go after Larijani. They conducted a massive wave of strikes across the capital. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz was blunt about it, saying Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani have "joined the head of the annihilation program in the depths of hell."
It's a brutal choice of words, but it shows how high the stakes are. The IDF says Larijani wasn't just a bureaucrat. They’ve labeled him the architect of the regime's current military strategy and the man who personally oversaw the violent crackdown on protesters earlier this year.
The details of the strike are straight out of a spy thriller. Israeli intelligence apparently tracked Larijani to one of his several "safe houses" in Tehran. They waited until he arrived with his son on Monday afternoon. Even though Larijani’s official X account posted a handwritten note about a funeral shortly after the strike, most experts think that was a pre-scheduled post or a desperate attempt by the regime to hide the truth.
Who was Ali Larijani anyway
You can’t understand Iranian politics without the Larijani name. They're often called the "Kennedys of Iran." Ali was one of five brothers who held massive power across the judiciary, the parliament, and the security state.
- The Academic: He held a PhD in Western philosophy and was obsessed with Immanuel Kant.
- The Negotiator: He was the lead nuclear negotiator for years, known for being a pragmatic but tough deal-maker.
- The Speaker: He ran the Iranian Parliament (Majlis) for over a decade.
- The Hardliner: In his final months, he dropped the "pragmatist" label and went full-on war footing, promising to make the US and Israel "regret" their miscalculations.
His death leaves a vacuum that the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) is already rushing to fill. With the political wing of the government getting decapitated, the military commanders are the only ones left standing.
The collapse of the Basij
While the world focuses on Larijani, the death of Gholamreza Soleimani is a massive blow to the regime's domestic control. Soleimani ran the Basij, the volunteer militia that acts as the regime’s fist against its own people.
The IDF targeted a Basij "combat tent" where Soleimani was meeting with other top brass. Reports suggest up to 300 Basij members might have been killed in these coordinated strikes. Without the Basij to police the streets, the internal protests that have been simmering across Iran could easily boil over into a full-blown revolution.
What happens next for the region
The immediate response from Iran was predictable: a barrage of ballistic missiles. Since midnight, at least six salvos have been fired toward central Israel. We’re seeing reports of cluster munitions hitting places like Rishon Lezion, flipping cars and creating craters.
But these retaliatory strikes feel more like a reflex than a strategy. Iran's leadership is being picked off one by one. Since this war started, ten of their most senior figures have been "eliminated."
If you're watching the oil markets, you’ve already noticed the spike. Iran is still holding the Strait of Hormuz hostage, and with Larijani gone, there’s nobody left to negotiate a de-escalation. The "pragmatic" voices in Tehran are either dead or hiding in bunkers.
We are looking at a headless regime that still has a lot of missiles. That’s a dangerous combination. You should expect more volatility in global energy prices and a likely escalation in Lebanon as Hezbollah tries to take the pressure off Tehran. If you have travel plans near the Gulf or are invested in energy stocks, keep your eyes on the news cycle for the next 48 hours. The regime's official confirmation of Larijani's death—or a rare public appearance to prove he's alive—will decide if this conflict stays a war of attrition or turns into a total collapse.
Keep a close eye on the official Iranian state media (IRNA) over the next few hours for any "proof of life" videos, though at this point, the silence from Tehran is becoming deafening.
