Israel announced on the 17th: Several Iranian high-ranking officials, including Larijani, have died.
The most shocking information on March 17 came from Israel. The Israeli Defense Minister Katz stated that the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, and the commander of the paramilitary force "Basij," Gholamreza Soleimani, were both killed in an air strike on the evening of the 16th.
Head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani
According to AFP, if the Iranian authorities confirm Larijani's death, it would be the most prominent assassination since February 28, when the US and Israel jointly bombed Tehran, sparking a war that led to the deaths of the then Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei and other leaders.
Israeli Defense Minister Katz said that the above information came from a report by the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, Eyal Zamir, stating that Larijani and Soleimani were killed last night.
Israeli Defense Minister said that Larijani and Soleimani "have gone down into the abyss of hell along with the one who led the destruction plan, Khamenei, and all those eliminated from the evil axis."
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu also released a photo of him on the phone, with the caption reading: "Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered the killing of high-ranking officials of the Iranian regime." This photo shows the Israeli prime minister, who has not attended government activities for some time, becoming the subject of many rumors.
It is reported that 68-year-old Larijani is considered a core figure in Iran. He has a close relationship with Khamenei and has been a key figure in Iran's nuclear policy and strategic diplomacy for decades.
After the outbreak of the war, his power increased. The new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has taken over after his father was killed, has not appeared publicly yet, but Larijani was seen with the crowd at a pro-government rally in Tehran last week.
Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Basij, Soleimani
Before Katz made the above statement, the Israeli military had earlier announced that Soleimani, who had served as the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Basij for the past six years, was killed in a "precise strike" against Tehran.
In the large-scale protests that occurred in Iran in January, Soleimani's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps led the main suppression actions. According to human rights groups, thousands of people were killed and tens of thousands were arrested at that time.
Military leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Akram al-Ajouri
Additionally, on March 17, the Israeli military announced that during an air strike on Iran, they targeted Akram al-Ajouri, the military department leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization. This person has lived in Iran, but it has not yet been confirmed whether he is dead. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad is an ally of Hamas.
On February 28, Israel and the United States launched their first wave of attacks, killing dozens of Iranian officials, including the former head of the Iranian intelligence headquarters. Those who later took over their positions, Abdollah Jalali-Nasab and Amir Shariat, were also killed in an attack on Tehran on the 13th. They were senior officials of the Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Iranian military and were closely related to the leadership of the Iranian terrorist regime.
Iran continues to launch attacks on Gulf countries
On March 17, Iran continued to launch attacks on Gulf countries. A piece of a intercepted missile fell in the capital of the UAE, Abu Dhabi, causing one death. At the same time, two medical staff were injured in Kuwait.
AFP reported that after the US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran triggered the Middle East war, oil-producing countries in the Persian Gulf became targets of Iran's attacks in response to the US-Israeli airstrikes. The Iranian authorities have not only targeted American assets but also attacked civilian infrastructure.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently said that US bases in the Middle East are used to launch airstrikes, and missiles were fired from the UAE and hit Iran's Kharg Island, but UAE officials denied the claims.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatens to attack US offices in Gulf countries
On the 16th, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran threatened to attack American companies in the region and called on employees to evacuate the relevant locations.
It is currently unclear which companies will be targeted, but Tasnim News Agency published a list of potential targets on Telegram last week, including the offices of tech giants such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia in the Persian Gulf countries.
Source: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1859950768461961/
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