
Israel has decapitated the leadership of Iran's internal security apparatus, confirming the assassination of Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani and claiming the death of de facto leader Ali Larijani in a massive overnight strike in Tehran.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced on 17 March 2026 that the precision operation targeted Soleimani in a makeshift 'combat tent', a location chosen by the IRGC to evade detection after their permanent headquarters were decimated.