According to Israel's defense minister, Iran's security chief Ali Larijani has been killed, which experts say represents the most significant setback for the country since the death of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Mohammad Fazlhashemi, a political Islam expert from Uppsala University, highlights Larijani's close relationship with Khamenei, indicating that he had assumed greater power in Iran’s governance structure after Khamenei’s death amid the ongoing conflict.

Larijani was formally the head of Iran’s National Security Council and had significant influence, especially on matters pertaining to warfare, following the delegation of some powers from the deceased Khamenei. In addition to Larijani, reports also suggest that Gholamreza Soleimani, the head of the paramilitary Basij militia, has been killed in the Israeli attacks overnight, further underscoring the perceived threat from the Israeli and U.S. intelligence operations to Iranian leadership.

The Iranian government has not yet confirmed these death reports, but if true, it illustrates the dire challenges the Iranian regime faces amid intensifying military actions and the implications of foreign intelligence capabilities in undermining its authority. This situation not only raises questions about Iran's internal power dynamics but may also escalate the ongoing conflict between Iran and its adversaries, particularly Israel and the United States.