Israel has announced the elimination of Larijani, a key executive in Iran. Why it matters

Israel said it has eliminated the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, he was killed in an Israeli Defense Forces airstrike on the night of March 17. He is one of the highest-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic, the right hand of the deceased Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iranian authorities have not confirmed Larijani's death. The state-run Tasnim news agency published an appeal on his behalf following reports of his elimination, relating to the fallen sailors of the US-sinking Iranian ship Dena. "The martyrdom of the brave fighters of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army Navy on the USS Dena is part of the sacrifice of the valiant Iranian people shown during this period of confrontation with international oppressors," Tasnim quoted his address as saying. Larijani's Telegram channel published the same address in a handwritten version.

Iranianist Nikita Smagin wrote about Larijani's role in Iran's governance in his Telegram channel. Oninvest publishes his opinion in full.

Larijani's death is a serious loss for the Iranian authorities. At the same time, it also seems to be the final nail in the lid of hopes that moderates will come to power.

Ali Larijani is, of course, a conservative. However, this man has always been categorized as a pragmatist within the system. He defended his PhD in Kant's philosophy, supported the nuclear deal and dialog with the US at the time.

He certainly served and fought in the Iran-Iraq war. But in his political career, he remained a very different kind of person. That is, he was not a protégé or supporter of the military in power. On the contrary, he epitomized the presence of civilians in key positions. He was the "white bone" of the Islamic Republic - well-read, educated, polite and balanced, but a staunch supporter of the ruling regime.

Larijani has been a key administrator in recent times. It is on him that Ali Khamenei seems to have entrusted the most managerial powers in case of war with the U.S. and Israel.

So the system will not be easy without him - almost no one else has comparable experience and influence. But the Islamic Republic is unlikely to collapse. Rather, he will be replaced by more radical, though much less competent, figures.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor