Ali Larijani was a ‘true insider’ and the Iranian regime’s public face. His killing could prolong the war

2026-03-18 - 08:41

As Iran’s top national security official and de facto leader, Ali Larijani emerged as the key architect of the country’s military and diplomatic strategy since the start of the conflict with the US and Israel. Experts say his killing could complicate any future efforts to end the war. At the age of 67, Larijani had become a visible emblem of the regime and its continuity. He even took part in a public rally in Tehran last week, despite being a prime target for Israel since the conflict began on February 28. Throughout the first two weeks of the war, Larijani was also prolific on social media, goading US President Donald Trump and on Monday warning Muslims across the Persian Gulf: “You know that America has no loyalty to you, and that Israel is your enemy. Stop for a moment and think about yourselves and the future of the region.” Larijani’s death at the hands of an Israeli airstrike will deprive the Iranian leadership of one of its most astute and powerful voices – and may make any negotiations to end the war more difficult, analysts say. To many observers, Larijani had become the de facto leader of Iran amid the upheavals of recent weeks, especially in the days following Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death. He has been a “true insider who spent decades at the center of the system, which gave him credibility across different parts of the elite,” according to Hamidreza Azizi, a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. “The Islamic Republic is designed to survive the loss of individuals, but figures with such diversified experience are not easy to replace.” Larijani attended a pro-government rally in Tehran on March 13, 2026, despite being a prime target for Israel. Ali Larijani/X/Reuters Israeli strikes, both in June and in the latest round of conflict, have killed many experienced Iranian commanders and security officials. But the loss of Larijani, the head of Iran’s National Security Council, is of a different order. He may not always have been a target. A source familiar with private plans and discussions told CNN that in September last year, he was the US and Israel’s most favored transitional candidate. But after he pushed for a crackdown against Iranian protesters, took a front seat in lashing out at the US and Israel and assumed a key role in strategizing kinetic military actions, Israel turned its sights on him in early February. His death will have limited immediate impact on the conduct of the war, but its political management will become more complicated, according to Azizi, because of his command of Iran’s political messaging and his international contacts. Someone like President Masoud Pezeshkian – a prominent moderate largely sidelined since the conflict began – would be unable to bring together a coalition within the elite to negotiate an end to the war, Azizi believes. It would require a figure of Larijani’s stature to bring different factions on board to reach a potential agreement. Half a century of service Over nearly five decades, Larijani held key positions in the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the security establishment, state media and parliament. The Supreme National Security Council praised Larijani’s long political career, describing him as a figure who “until the very last moments of his life” worked toward the advancement of Iran and called for unity in the face of external threats. “This kind of trajectory is relatively rare” in the Islamic Republic, Azizi told CNN. “The only position he lacked on his resume was that of president.” Larijani was a skillful navigator of the shifting politics of the Islamic Republic, a “pragmatic conservative” who could work in different camps within the system, while completely loyal to the republic, according to Azizi. He was a commander in the IRGC during the war with Iraq in the 1980s, and later the head of the state broadcaster. Larijani was Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator in the first decade of the century. Western diplomats who negotiated with him described him as sophisticated and intelligent. And increasingly he had the ear of Khamenei on security issues, after his appointment as an adviser in 2004. For 12 years until 2020, he was speaker of Iran’s parliament, broadening his power base. In a CNN interview in 2015, Larijani praised the deal negotiated by the Obama administration that limited Iran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief, describing it as “a beginning for better understanding of other issues.” After last year’s conflict with Israel, Larijani returned to prominence as head of the National Security Council and was regarded by many analysts as the most important decision-maker in the country. Larijani, pictured with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Russia, in 2015, had been a key international representative and negotiator for the Iranian regime. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Reuters He also became Iran’s chief international voice, more so than even Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, with recent visits to Moscow, Beirut, Abu Dhabi and Oman. He met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the end of January and set out Iran’s conditions for a nuclear agreement after visiting Oman, which was mediating between Washington and Tehran. Larijani’s core position within the regime was reinforced by his family’s prominent clerical background. He was married to the daughter of a prominent ayatollah. One of his brothers, Sadegh, is also an ayatollah and former head of Iran’s judiciary. Another brother, Mohammad-Javad Larijani, has also held various roles in the Islamic Republic. Larijani was also an established academic. Trained originally in mathematics and computer science at Sharif University of Technology, he held a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Tehran and wrote extensively about the work of German philosopher Immanuel Kant. In recent days, Larijani had been vocal and eloquent about Iran’s readiness for sustained conflict. “Unlike the United States, [Iran] has prepared itself for a long war,” he posted on X soon after the US began its campaign. His death may make it longer. On Monday, state media announced that a 71-year-old former IRGC commander, Mohsen Rezaei, had come out of retirement to become the senior military adviser to Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. That suggests the leadership is becoming more reliant on the Iraq war generation and therefore more militarized, Azizi told CNN – without the counterbalance of Larijani’s pragmatism. Christiane Amanpour contributed to this report.