Top Iranian officials killed in Israeli airstrike in wartime blow to country's leadership

Israel has killed two of Iran's most senior security officials—Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, and General Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Revolutionary Guard's Basij force—in overnight airstrikes, according to Iranian confirmation. Both men held powerful positions within Iran's fractured security structure, which operates through competing agencies and spheres of influence. The deaths represent a significant loss of institutional leadership during active conflict and strike at the core of Iran's decision-making apparatus. Larijani and Soleimani were instrumental in coordinating Iran's military and intelligence operations across the region, making their removal a major strategic blow to the country's security hierarchy.