Missiles have been shot down over Dubai after Tehran vowed revenge following the killing of security chief Ali Larijani in an Israeli airstrike.
A loud bang was heard in Dubai after which United Arab Emirates authorities confirmed they had intercepted a missile with no injuries reported.
It comes after the Iranian army chief has vowed to launch a "decisive" retaliation after an Israeli airstrike killed Larijani.
“Iran’s response to the assassination of the secretary of the supreme national security council will be decisive and regrettable,” Amir Hatami said after the council confirmed the death of its leader.
Larijani is the most senior Iranian official to be killed by the US and Israel since the assassination of supreme leader Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war.Iran's Revolutionary Guards said it had launched missiles at central Israel "in revenge for the blood of" Larijani and his companions.
At least two people were killed near Tel Aviv in an Iranian missile attack on Wednesday morning. Earlier, Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on Nato, claiming the alliance abandoned the US “in its time of need” by refusing to help open the Strait of Hormuz.
Read MoreWho is Ali Larijani? Iran’s ‘strongman’ security chief who threatened Trump with ‘elimination’
‘Be careful not to get eliminated’: Iran’s stark warning to Trump as war escalates
Even right-wing podcasters are using Joe Kent’s resignation as proof of the fractured MAGA movement
Key Points
- Iran's army chief vows 'decisive' retaliation for death of Ali Larijani
- Iran executes man accused of spying for Israel - report
- 'Loud boom' heard in Dubai as UAE government intercepts missile
- Oil prices ease to $102 a barrel
- Top US security official quits over Iran war
- Iranian strikes kill two in Tel Aviv
Watch: Multiple strikes rock Beirut suburb overnight
07:20 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarProjectile hits Iran's Bushehr power plant
07:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarA projectile hit an area near Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant last evening, but it caused no damage or injuries, Iran told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
"The IAEA has been informed by Iran that a projectile hit the premises of the Bushehr NPP on Tuesday evening. No damage to the plant or injuries to staff reported," the UN nuclear watchdog said on X.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi reiterated his call for maximum restraint during the conflict to avoid the risk of a nuclear accident.
Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation confirmed the strike earlier in the day, with the country's Tasnim news agency saying the projectile hit the vicinity of the nuclear power plant in the port city of Bushehr at around 7pm local time.
Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear energy corporation, condemned the strike, adding that radiation levels around the plant, whose construction was started by a German company in the 1970s and later completed by Russia, were normal.
Israeli strikes kill six in Beirut
06:45 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIsraeli airstrikes in Beirut killed at least six people this morning, the Lebanese health ministry said, shaking the heart of the Lebanese capital as Israel intensified its offensive against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Israeli airstrikes pounded the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut, where Reuters footage showed explosions lighting up the night sky.
While most Israeli strikes in the Beirut area have been on the southern suburbs, Israel has also launched a number of attacks in central areas of the capital since Lebanon was dragged into the war in the Middle East on 2 March.
An airstrike around 1.30am local time destroyed several floors of an apartment block in Beirut’s Zuqaq al-Blat district, while a strike in the nearby Basta district tore through at least two floors of a building.
Later, at around 5.30am local time, a more powerful strike destroyed an entire building in the Bachoura neighbourhood — an area close to downtown Beirut that was also targeted by Israel last week.
'Loud boom' heard in Dubai
06:36 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe UAE government said its air defences are responding to an incoming missile threat after Dubai residents reported hearing a loud bang.
The air defences are “currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran”, the defence ministry said.
Read the scathing resignation letter from Trump's counterterrorism chief
06:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe director of the National Counter terrorism Center, Joe Kent, announced his sudden resignation on Tuesday, citing his concerns about President Donald Trump’s strikes in Iran.
Kent, 45, said he “cannot in good conscience” back the administration’s war.
A former political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, Kent was confirmed to his post last July on a 52-44 vote. As head of the National Counter terrorism Center, he oversaw an agency tasked with analyzing and detecting terrorist threats.
His resignation reflects unease within Trump’s base about the war and shows that questions about the justification for the use of force in Iran extend to the right of Trump’s base and to senior members of his administration.
More here.
Read the scathing resignation letter from Trump’s now former counterterrorism chief
Iran strikes Tel Aviv with cluster warheads
06:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIran targeted Tel Aviv with missiles carrying cluster warheads in what it said was retaliation for Israel's assassination of Iran's security chief Ali Larijani.
The attack overnight killed two people in a neighbourhood close to densely populated Tel Aviv, where there are also key military facilities, bringing the death toll in Israel from the war to at least 14.
A statement by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps read on state TV said weapons used included Khorramshahr 4 and Qadr missiles, both with multi-warheads.Israel has said that Iran has repeatedly used cluster warheads, which disperse into multiple smaller explosives mid-air and spread over a wide area, making them difficult to intercept.
In Iran, a projectile hit an area near the Bushehr nuclear power plant last evening but caused no damage or injuries, Iran told the International Atomic Energy Agency.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi reiterated his call for maximum restraint during the conflict to avoid the risk of a nuclear accident.
Who is Ali Larijani? Iran’s ‘strongman’ security chief who threatened Trump with ‘elimination’
05:50 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIran has confirmed the death of top security chief Ali Larijani on Tuesday, state media reported.
Larijani becomes the most senior Iranian figure to be killed by Israel since the assassination of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war.
Tehran had earlier denied reports that Larijani was dead and a handwritten letter dedicated to Iranian troops was released after Israel claimed he had been killed in an IDF strike.
A tribute to Larijani was posted on his social media account on X, it said: “Indeed, a servant of Allah has joined his Lord as a martyr.”
More here.
Who is Ali Larijani? Top Iranian official killed
Explosions heard in Baghdad as US embassy targeted
05:45 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarA drone attack targeted the US embassy in Baghdad and an explosion was heard in the area, security sources told Reuters this morning.
Security sources yesterday said that rocket and drone attacks had targeted the embassy, triggering sirens, with an explosion heard near the diplomatic compound.
At least three explosive drones also targeted a US diplomatic facility near Baghdad International Airport yesterday, activating C-RAM air defence systems.
Israel attacks central Beirut
05:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAn Israeli airstrike hit Beirut’s Bachoura neighbourhood in the centre of the city this morning, with a loud explosion heard in the area after the Israeli military warned residents to evacuate a building ahead of the strike.
The attack was part of a broader wave of Israeli strikes on Lebanon, including raids on other parts of the Lebanese capital, as well as southern and eastern areas of the country, signalling an intensification of Israel’s campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Other Israeli strikes on Beirut killed at least six people and wounded 24 others, Lebanon’s health ministry said. In southern and eastern Lebanon, at least 14 people were killed in separate Israeli airstrikes, the state news agency reported, citing the health ministry.
The Israeli military said this morning that it had begun striking Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.The latest strikes draw Lebanon deeper into the war in the Middle East after Hezbollah attacked Israel on 2 March, saying it aimed to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader.
Fifa responds to Iran request to move their World Cup games from United States
05:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarFifa has appeared to rule out the possibility of relocating Iran’s matches at the World Cup to Mexico following the US and Israeli air strikes on the country.
It comes after the president of the Iranian football federation, Mehdi Taj, said Iran was “negotiating” with Fifa to move the team’s matches outside of the United States due to the ongoing conflict.
US president Donald Trump said last week that he did not believe it was “appropriate” for Iran to play games in America “for their own life and safety”.
More here.
Fifa responds to Iran request to move their World Cup games from United States
Iran executes man accused of spying for Israel - report
05:09 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkarran has reportedly executed a man accused of spying for Israel.
The man, identified as Kurosh Keyvani, was found "guilty of providing Israel's spy agency, Mossad, with pictures and information about sensitive locations in Iran", the judiciary's Mizan news agency reported this morning.
South Korea to curb naphtha exports amid Middle East crisis
04:50 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarSouth Korea will limit naphtha exports and temporarily designate it as a supply-chain economic security item, the finance minister said, as authorities try to shield companies and consumers from the impact of the Middle East conflict.
Naphtha is a light, flammable petroleum product used mainly as a feedstock in petrochemical plants to produce plastics and chemicals.
The government will boost financial support for affected petrochemical companies by 1.5 trillion won ($1.01bn), including for the cost of alternative imports and preferential interest rates for firms handling high-risk economic security items, finance minister Koo Yun-cheol said today.
The country on Monday lifted caps on coal-fired power generation and moved to raise nuclear reactor utilisation to around 80 per cent, aimed at reducing reliance on oil and liquefied natural gas.
Qatar and Kuwait intercept missile attack
04:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe Qatari defence ministry this morning said its armed forces have intercepted a missile attack targeting the country.
Kuwait's national guard said it shot down seven drones during the early hours.
Oil prices ease to $102 a barrel
04:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOil prices eased this morning to pare back some of yesterday's sharp gains after the Iraqi government and Kurdish authorities reached a deal to resume oil exports via Turkey's Ceyhan port, providing modest relief to concerns about Middle East supplies.
But with no signs of a de-escalation of the Iran conflict, which has left oil exports from the Middle East largely halted, Brent futures prices have settled above $100 per barrel for the prior four consecutive sessions.
After rising more than 3 per cent yesterday, Brent futures edged back 67 cents, or 0.65 per cent, to $102.75 a barrel by 2am GMT today.
US West Texas Intermediate crude dropped $1.18, or 1.23 per cent, to $95.03.
Iraqi's oil minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani said oil flows from Ceyhan were expected to start at 7am GMT today, according to state media. Two oil officials said last week that Iraq was seeking to pump at least 100,000 barrels per day of crude through the port.
"While it all helps and buys some time, the 100,000 bpd is not a huge game changer as Iraq has still lost about two million barrels per day," said IG market analyst Tony Sycamore.
Iranian strikes kill two in Tel Aviv
03:50 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarTwo people were killed near Tel Aviv during an Iranian missile barrage, Israeli officials said.
The deaths brought the toll from missiles fired on Israel to 14, and came after another day of heavy Israeli bombardment of targets in Iran and Lebanon.
“We saw smoke rising from a building with extensive damage and shattered glass,” the Magen David Adom emergency responders said.
The pair had no pulse and were not breathing, it added. “We had no choice but to pronounce them dead at the scene.”
Damage in Tel Aviv suburb after Iranian attack
03:47 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Top US security official quits over Iran war
03:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarA top security official in US president Donald Trump’s administration resigned on Tuesday over the war in Iran, saying the country had posed no imminent threat to the US.
Joe Kent, who headed the National Counterterrorism Center, is the first senior official in Trump’s administration to step down over the conflict, now in its third week.
“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful lobby,” Mr Kent wrote in a letter posted to social media.
Some experts have said that an imminent threat would be required for the United States to launch a war under international law.
Mr Kent’s letter included “false claims,” White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
“As president Trump has clearly and explicitly stated, he had strong and compelling evidence that Iran was going to attack the United States first,” Ms Leavitt said.
“This evidence was compiled from many sources and factors.”
Iran's army chief vows 'decisive' retaliation for death of Ali Larijani
03:27 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIranian army chief Amir Hatami has vowed to launch a "decisive and regrettable" retaliation against Israel for the killing of security chief Ali Larijani.
“Iran’s response to the assassination of the secretary of the supreme national security council will be decisive and regrettable,” Mr Hatami said in a statement.
Iran's supreme national security council on Tuesday confirmed the death of its chief. "The pure souls of the martyrs embraced the purified soul of God's righteous servant, Martyr Dr Ali Larijani," the council said, adding that his son and his bodyguards had died with him.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the powerful military force separate from the army, said it had launched missiles at central Israel "in revenge for the blood of" Larijani and his companions.
US senator says chances of US 'extended occupation' of Iran are 'zero'
03:20 , Rachel DobkinUS Senator Ted Cruz has said the chances of a US “extended occupation” of Iran are “zero”.
“We are not going to see a scenario where we see hundreds of thousands of American troops on the ground for an extended period of time”, the Texas Republican told CBS News’ Major Garrett.
“I could envision an operation, perhaps something like what we saw in Venezuela...I could envision limited boots on the ground for a specific objective, but I think the chance of anything like an extended occupation, the chances of that are zero”, Cruz added.
WATCH: US military leader says aviators have flown more than 6,000 combat flights
03:10 , Rachel DobkinWe are executing President Trump’s orders with speed and precision.
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) March 18, 2026
Operation Epic Fury has decimated Iran’s military. pic.twitter.com/LQ8JH8jnIV
Iranian president's son speaks out against Israel's killing of top officials
03:00 , Rachel DobkinYousef Pezeshkian, the son of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, has spoken out against Israel's killing of top officials after the reported death of Iran’s top security chief Ali Larijani.
“We should not have allowed the enemy to be able to carry out another successful assassination”, he wrote on Telegram, per the Associated Press. “If we cannot stop the Zionists’ assassination machine, we will suffer a defeat”.
House Speaker Mike Johnson calls for more spending for Iran – despite saying America is not at war
02:45 , Maira ButtHouse Speaker Mike Johnson has called for a supplemental spending bill amid President Donald Trump’s escalating war with Iran – despite the fact the speaker has said that the United States is not at war.
“The presumption is we would need a supplemental because we’ve used quite a bit of munitions and we’ve got to replenish the stock,” he told The Independent. “It makes logical sense, I think, to everybody.”
Earlier in the day, Johnson said in his weekly press conference that the war is in its final phases.
Eric Garcia reports:
House Speaker Mike Johnson calls for more spending for Iran
US diesel tops $5 a gallon in worrying sign for shipping, food costs and construction
02:40 , Brendan RasciusUS diesel prices have surged dramatically, sparking fears that escalating costs will ripple through the economy — affecting groceries, shipping and construction — as the war in Iran stretches into its third week.
On Monday, the average price of a gallon of diesel reached $5 a gallon, marking the highest rate since December 2022 — the only other time it surpassed this worrying milestone, according to GasBuddy. On Tuesday, the average cost for a gallon of diesel stood at $5.04, up from $3.65 the previous month, according to AAA.
Diesel, the lifeblood of global commerce, powering freight and manufacturing, has long been vulnerable to geopolitical crises. The Iran war, launched by the US and Israel on February 28, is no exception.
As the conflict engulfs the broader Middle East region, a number of nations have slowed their oil production, including Kuwait and Qatar. At the same time, tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a vital trade artery through which 20 percent of global oil passes — has ground to a halt.
Read more...
US diesel tops $5 a gallon in worrying sign for shipping and food costs
UN envoy for Lebanon warns against making 'grave mistake' amid Iran war
02:30 , Rachel DobkinJeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon, has warned against making a “grave mistake” amid the war in Iran.
During a closed briefing to the UN Security Council, Hennis-Plasschaert warned that “betting on a regional settlement to solve Lebanon’s problems would be a grave mistake”, according to a press release issued by the UN Tuesday.
“Lebanon must urgently focus on what can be done at the domestic level, including the development of a comprehensive roadmap to address the question of Hizbullah’s future”, the UN envoy said, referring to the Iranian-backed militant group, which is also spelled as Hezbollah.
Hennis-Plasschaert said the plan must not only “encompass the group’s weapons, but also its financial networks and social infrastructure”.
Trump resurfaces old post from now-former counterterrorism chief calling on president to ‘wipe Iran’s ballistic capability out’
02:15 , Rachel DobkinDonald Trump has resurfaced an old social media post from the now-former counterterrorism chief calling on the US president to “wipe Iran’s ballistic capability out.”
Joe Kent announced his resignation as director of the National Counterterrorism Centre Tuesday, saying, “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby”.
Trump shared a post by Kent from early January 2020, where he told the president, “We should not sit and wait for the next attack, wipe Iran's ballistic capability out and get our troops out of Iraq - they are only targets now.
“No US WIA/KIA is a tribute to the professionalism of our military and intel professionals not Iranian restraint”.
Who is Ali Larijani? Iran’s ‘strongman’ security chief who threatened Trump with ‘elimination’
02:00 , Maira ButtIran has confirmed the death of top security chief Ali Larijani on Tuesday, state media reported.
Larijani becomes the most senior Iranian figure to be killed by Israel since the assassination of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war.
Tehran had earlier denied reports that Larijani was dead and a handwritten letter dedicated to Iranian troops was released after Israel claimed he had been killed in an IDF strike.
A tribute to Larijani was posted on his social media account on X, it said: “Indeed, a servant of Allah has joined his Lord as a martyr.”
Who is Ali Larijani? Top Iranian official killed
Six killed in Israeli attacks: report
01:45 , Rachel DobkinLebanon’s Health Ministry has said two Israeli strikes on residential buildings in Beirut early Wednesday morning killed at least six people and injured 24 others, the Associated Press reported.
IRGC reportedly says missile attacks that killed two in Israel was revenge for killing of Ali Larijani
01:30 , Rachel DobkinThe Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has said missile attacks that reportedly killed two people in Israel was revenge for the killing of Iran’s top security chief Ali Larijani, the Associated Press reported.
In the paramilitary’s statement reported on by Iranian state TV, it was said that Khorramshahr-4 and Qadr multiple-warhead missiles were used in the strikes near Tel Aviv.
New attacks launched against US Embassy in Baghdad: report
01:04 , Rachel DobkinNew drone and rocket attacks have been launched against the US Embassy in Baghdad, according to a CNN report.
CNN reported, citing security officials, two rockets targeting the embassy were intercepted.
The strikes caused some damage around the embassy, according to one official.
Iran claims strike hit close to nuclear power plant
00:30 , Rachel DobkinThe Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said a strike hit the grounds of the Bushehr nuclear power plant on the Persian Gulf Tuesday local time.
The organization said “no financial, technical, or human damage occurred and no part of the plant was harmed”, per the Associated Press.
US targets Iranian missile sites near Strait of Hormuz
00:05 , Maira ButtThe United States military said Tuesday that it targeted sites along Iran's coastline near the Strait of Hormuz because Iranian anti-ship missiles posed a risk to international shipping there.
US Central Command said it had “successfully employed multiple 5000-pound deep penetrator munitions on hardened Iranian missile sites” along the coastline near the Strait.
”The Iranian anti-ship cruise missiles in these sites posed a risk to international shipping in the strait,” it wrote in a statement on X.
Hours ago, U.S. forces successfully employed multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions on hardened Iranian missile sites along Iran’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian anti-ship cruise missiles in these sites posed a risk to international shipping in the… pic.twitter.com/hgCSFH0cqO
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 17, 2026
German minister: unrealistic to expect controlled regime change in Iran
Tuesday 17 March 2026 23:59 , Maira ButtGermany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Tuesday that it is not realistic to expect controlled regime change in Iran.
“There will be no military solution. And to have a controlled regime change, is, I would say, a hypothetical idea, which is not realistic,” he said, speaking alongside his French counterpart in Berlin at an event hosted by the ZEIT media group.
“So chaos in Iran, as bad as the regime is, is also not in our interest and not in the interest of the region and, of course, in the interest of the people living in Iran.”
Two people killed in Israel following rocket fire
Tuesday 17 March 2026 23:45 , Maira ButtTwo people have been killed with severe shrapnel injuries in Israel after rocket fire on Tuesday, according to the national ambulance service MDA.
Iranian regime likely to remain in power despite two weeks of attacks, US intelligence suggests
Tuesday 17 March 2026 23:40 , Maira ButtIran’s regime will likely remain in power, US intelligence has said, despite over two weeks of US-Israeli attacks on the country.
While dozens of top Iranian military and intelligence leaders have been killed in the war, including the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, officials believe that the regime is still clinging onto control.
As the war enters a third week, at least 2,000 people have been killed with no end in sight despite widespread damage to Iran’s military installations and naval capability.
A "multitude" of intelligence reports provide "consistent analysis that the regime is not in danger" of collapse, a source close to US intelligence told The Washington Post. Rather, they said it "retains control of the Iranian public”.
Iranian regime likely to remain in power, US intelligence suggests
Khamenei believed son Mojtaba was not bright enough to take power, says US intelligence
Tuesday 17 March 2026 23:20 , Maira ButtIran’s former supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei did not want his son, Mojtaba, to take power in Iran, according to US intelligence.
Ali Khamenei had misgivings about his son becoming leader as he was perceived to be “not very bright” and “unqualified” for the role, reported CBS news.
Issues in the younger Khamenei’s personal life were also contributing factors, according to an intelligence report circulated among President Trump and his senior advisers and shared with the TV network.
Khamenei did not want son to take power, says US intelligence
Trump claims US military operations 'way ahead of schedule'
Tuesday 17 March 2026 23:05 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump has reflected on the US war with Iran as the raging conflict enters its third week. He said that Tehran would have had nuclear weapons by now if America and Israel had not intervened.
“We took a little bit of a journey a little bit over the last two weeks, because we thought we had to do something about very bad people that want to have nuclear weapons,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“We can't allow that. They would have had it if we didn't send the b2 bombers in. They would have had it seven months ago, a couple of weeks after that, and we can't let that happen so we did a little excursion, and it's, we're way ahead of schedule.
“As you probably noticed, and we've had. There's no we knocked out their navy their air force their anti aircraft, equipment, their radar, and their leaders, t's been, it's been amazing. Militarily, but it's something that had to be done. Unfortunately, I say we don't do it with glee.”
Watch: Iranian state TV confirms death of security chief Ali Larijani
Tuesday 17 March 2026 22:50 , Maira ButtUS orders all its embassies to review security after Baghdad compound hit by strikes in Iran war: report
Tuesday 17 March 2026 22:35 , Maira ButtThe United States has ordered all its embassies and other diplomatic posts to review their “security posture” after a compound in Baghdad was struck as the Iran war rages, according to a new report.
In an internal message sent Tuesday, which was reviewed by The Washington Post, the State Department ordered its diplomatic posts all over the world to gather Emergency Action Committees and review security due to “the ongoing and developing situation in the Middle East and the potential for spill-over effects.”
At least three drones targeted the US embassy in Iraq’s capital Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. Two of the drones were intercepted, but a third crashed inside the embassy compound, two Iraqi security officials told the AP.
US orders all its embassies to review security amid war in Iran: report
Donald Trump’s new tantrum: We don’t need anyone’s help in Iran war
Tuesday 17 March 2026 22:00 , Maira ButtDonald Trump has lashed out at US allies after they rejected his call for help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and protect global oil supplies.
The president described Nato’s refusal to come to his aid as a “foolish mistake”, before insisting: “We do not need the help of anyone!”
His outburst came as questions grew over how and when the chaotic war on Iran might end – concerns that yesterday prompted his key ally and counterterrorism chief Joe Kent to resign in protest, saying Tehran had posed no imminent threat to the US.
Trump’s new tantrum: We don’t need anyone’s help in Iran war
Moments after Israel claimed to kill Larijani, a handwritten letter was posted on his social media
Tuesday 17 March 2026 21:47 , Maira ButtIranian state media has now confirmed the death of Ali Larijani. However, earlier in the day his killing had been denied and a handwritten post had been shared from his social media account.
After Israel claimed to have killed the security chief in a strike this morning, a handwritten letter was uploaded to his X account on Tuesday.
The note appeared dedicated to members of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Navy on the occasion of the funeral ceremony.
He said: “Their memory will forever remain in the heart of the Iranian nation, and these martyrdoms will strengthen the foundation of the Islamic Republic's Army for years to come within the structure of the armed forces.
“I beseech the Almighty God for the highest ranks for these dear martyrs.”
Later on Tuesday, Iranian state media confirmed Larijani had been killed and a tribute was posted from his personal X account.
به مناسبت مراسم تشییع سلحشوران نیروی دریایی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران: یاد آنان همواره در قلب ملت ایران خواهد بود و این شهادتها بنیان ارتش جمهوری اسلامی را برای سالها در ساختار نیروهای مسلح استوار مینماید. ازخداوند متعال علو درجات برای این شهدای عزیز خواستارم. pic.twitter.com/dvTdhyDYbY
— Ali Larijani | علی لاریجانی (@alilarijani_ir) March 17, 2026
Larijani had previously warned Trump: 'Be careful not to get eliminated'
Tuesday 17 March 2026 21:35 , Maira ButtIran’s top security chief Ali Larijani has been killed by Israel, according to state media.
Larijani had an active social media presence and had previously warned Donald Trump on 10 March last week: “The sacrificial nation of Iran doesn’t fear your empty threats.”
His post had come after the American leader vowed to rain down “death, fire and fury” on the Islamic Republic.
“Even those bigger than you couldn’t eliminate Iran. Be careful not to get eliminated yourself.”
Tribute to Ali Larijani posted on his X account
Tuesday 17 March 2026 21:26 , Maira ButtA tribute to Iran’s top security chief Ali Larijani has been posted to his X account on Tuesday evening, shortly after state media confirmed his death.
A caption alongside his picture read: “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
“Dear and proud people of Iran! To the Muslim nations and the free people of the world: ‘A servant of God has returned to God.’
“Indeed, a servant of Allah has joined his Lord as a martyr.”
بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
— Ali Larijani | علی لاریجانی (@alilarijani_ir) March 17, 2026
ملت عزیز و سربلند ایران!
الشعوب المسلمة وأحرار العالم:
«بندهی خدا، به خدا پیوست.»
لقد لحق عبدٌ من عباد الله بربّه شهيدًا. pic.twitter.com/G1kZUqbg1L
Watch: Who is Ali Larijani? One of Iran's most powerful leaders killed by Israel
Tuesday 17 March 2026 21:10 , Maira ButtBreaking: Iran confirms death of security chief Ali Larijani
Tuesday 17 March 2026 20:59 , Maira ButtIran's security chief Ali Larijani has been killed, Iranian media confirmed on Tuesday.
Reports of his death had been previously denied by Iran.