Israel Confirms Killing of Iran’s Security Chief Ali Larijani in Tehran Strike as War Enters Day 18
Israel Confirms Elimination of Iran’s Top Security Official in Tehran
Israel’s military has confirmed the killing of Ali Larijani, Iran’s powerful secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, in an overnight strike on Tehran. Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that the IDF carried out the operation, marking Larijani as the second most senior Iranian official assassinated since the war began on 28 February with the death of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Larijani, aged 67, was a prominent figure in Iran’s political and security apparatus, widely regarded as part of the close circle around the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. He held immense power despite not being positioned to succeed Khamenei or serve on the interim leadership council, making him a top target. Israeli media had speculated on his elimination following an earlier announcement that the IDF killed Basij paramilitary chief Gholamreza Soleimani.
Escalating Israeli Strikes Across Iran and Lebanon
The Israeli army reported wide-scale attacks in the early hours of Tuesday against various targets in Iran and its Lebanon-based proxy Hezbollah. The military detailed a combined wave of strikes on infrastructure and military targets in three Iranian cities: Tehran, Shiraz, and Tabriz. In Tehran, dozens of munitions hit command centres, UAV, ballistic missile, and air defence storage sites, as well as launch sites and air defence systems. In Shiraz, the internal security forces’ command centre and a ballistic missile site were struck. In Tabriz, additional air defence systems were dismantled.
Israel also announced new air strikes targeting Tehran on Tuesday and warned of a new barrage of missiles fired from Iran, with air defences activated and explosions reported. In southern Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike wounded five Lebanese soldiers in the village of Kfar Sir, with two in critical condition. The soldiers were injured while travelling in a car and a motorcycle and were taken to hospital.
On Monday, the IDF announced it had eliminated Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij paramilitary unit for the past six years. The Basij, an auxiliary unit of the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), led repression operations in Iran, employing severe violence, widespread arrests, and force against civilian demonstrators.
Iranian Retaliation Targets Gulf States and Shipping
Iran has intensified attacks across the region in response to US-Israeli operations. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates reported briefly closing the country’s airspace after Iranian attacks on Dubai and Fujairah early Tuesday. Plumes of smoke rose over Fujairah, where drones struck an oil tank farm, sparking a fire. A tanker anchored off Fujairah in the Gulf of Oman was hit by debris, sustaining minor structural damage with no injuries; UKMTO assessed it as falling debris from an interception.
Bahrain reported more drone attacks from Iran, with its Defence Ministry tallying 129 missiles and 233 drones fired since 28 February, an increase of nine drones from Monday. Kuwait reported two medics injured by shrapnel at an ambulance centre, both in stable condition after hospital treatment. An air raid alert was issued in Doha, Qatar.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated on state television that the Strait of Hormuz cannot return to its pre-war state, justifying Tehran’s actions as a response to aggression. Iran’s ambassador in Turkmenistan, Ali Mojtaba Rouzbehani, proposed that US President Donald Trump withdraw forces from the strait for stability, noting no ships can pass due to aggression targeting water treatment plants, fuel storage, and other facilities.
Global Oil Crisis and Strait of Hormuz Disruptions
The war, now on day 18, has caused shipping disruptions at the strategic Strait of Hormuz, with Brent crude trading over $100 a barrel. US President Donald Trump said operations in Iran are going “very well” despite soaring oil prices from Iranian attacks. The Trump administration is building a global coalition to police the strait and address the oil crisis.
South Korea reported 26 vessels and 183 crew stranded near the strait, with officials coordinating food supplies and reviewing further steps amid US calls for naval support. Tehran and Baghdad are discussing passage for Iraq’s oil tankers through the strait; Iraq’s oil production has dropped to 1.2 million barrels per day from 4.3 million pre-war.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian offered emergency humanitarian aid to Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq due to the conflict’s grave humanitarian disaster, without specifying details. China is also in communication with Washington over Trump’s planned late March to early April visit to Beijing, which Trump indicated might be delayed due to the war.
Humanitarian Toll and International Reactions
The Red Cross reported Iranian civilians paying a “heavy price,” with Vincent Cassard, head of the delegation in Iran, noting heavy loss of life, disrupted daily life in Tehran, and damage to schools, hospitals, and Iranian Red Crescent facilities. The UN warned that if the war continues to June, 45 million more people could face acute hunger, pushing global levels to a record high of over 319 million.
Australia and New Zealand called for the war, started by US-Israeli attacks on 28 February, to end as quickly as possible. Albania’s parliament designated the IRGC a terrorist organisation and Iran a state sponsor of terrorism, condemning Iran-linked cyberattacks, including one on its parliamentary IT system this month. Albania hosts members of the exiled People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK).
Iranian officials have not commented on the latest strikes. The conflict shows no sign of abating, with ongoing military exchanges and efforts to mitigate regional fallout.