The assassination, confirmed by official sources, of the secretary of the Iranian National Security Council, Ali Larijani, has unleashed numerous speculations in Western media about the consequences his disappearance may have for the regime. 24 hours after the Israeli government announced Larijani’s death, Iranian authorities were still silent while a semi-official agency —Tasnim— published a handwritten letter from Larijani dated March 16, to prove that he was still alive.
Larijani was the ‘strong man’ of the regime, beyond Ayatollah Khamenei, and one of the most experienced politicians in Iran. His functions focused on the management of the security apparatus and the political, diplomatic, and military coordination of the theocratic regime.
All of this, in addition to the solid diplomatic and cooperative relationship he built with Chinese authorities, according to official sources consulted by DiplomacyNews, makes Larijani a primary target for Israeli forces, as he is a solid pillar of the regime. And, in the case of his relationship with China, it could represent an attempt to break any possible alliance between both countries. The consulted sources did not comment on this. “No motive can be ruled out,” said the consulted interlocutors.
