Israeli airstrikes in Tehran have killed Iranian security chief Ali Larijani and Basij paramilitary commander Gholamreza Soleimani. The assassinations mark a significant escalation on the 19th day of the joint US-Israel military campaign against Iran, which began on February 28, 2026. Larijani was a prominent pragmatist and former nuclear negotiator within the Iranian establishment.
In response to the killings, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi vowed “revenge” and stated the nation’s political system remains intact. Retaliatory bombardments subsequently struck central Israel. A rocket attack in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, killed two people and severely damaged a residential apartment building.
The conflict continues to spill across the region. Iran and allied armed factions, including the Iraqi group Saraya Awliya al-Dam, have launched waves of drones and missiles targeting US-allied states. Defense systems reported interceptions in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, while warning sirens were triggered in Bahrain. Strikes were also reported across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan.
The geopolitical fallout has reached Washington. On March 17, top US counterterrorism official Joe Kent resigned his position in protest of the ongoing military campaign. In a public statement, Kent declared that Iran “posed no imminent threat” and asserted the US started the war due to “pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” Concurrently, US President Donald Trump criticized NATO allies for their reluctance to provide military support to break Iran’s blockade.
The economic and human toll of the conflict is mounting. Iran’s strategy of horizontal escalation has forced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, choking off 20 percent of the world’s daily oil supply and triggering a global energy crisis. Inside Iran, the Ministry of Health reports at least 1,444 people have been killed and 18,551 injured since the US and Israeli strikes began.