- Iran has confirmed the death of Basij force head Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani after Israel said it killed Soleimani and another senior security official.
- Israel claimed to have killed Soleimani and Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in overnight strikes, marking a significant blow to Iran's leadership.
- Iran confirmed the death of Soleimani but has not addressed the reported killing of Larijani, a powerful figure within the country.
- Both men were key to Iran’s violent crackdown on protests in January that challenged the theocracy’s 47-year rule. The killings would strip Iran of important leaders during a war that presents that greatest test for the Islamic Republic in recent decades.
- In retaliation, Iran launched missile and drone attacks against its Gulf Arab neighbours and Israel, while also asserting its control over the vital Strait of Hormuz.
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