Reference News Network, March 18 report: According to the Spanish newspaper "El Mundo" website on March 18, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, is one of the designers of Iran's defense and retaliation strategy in the current war. However, even if he is absent, military operations may still continue, as the Iranian regime has set up a four-level succession plan for every command position in government and military institutions to ensure that the command center can remain operational even under Israel's targeted killing attacks.

Hamidreza Aghazadeh, an analyst at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said: "The death of Larijani will not have a practical impact on the war operations, but it will push the Iranian regime towards greater rigidity and militarism, as it has already lost one of the few key figures capable of coordinating political, military, and security strategies."

This influential figure within the Iranian regime was a loyal advisor to the late Supreme Leader Khamenei. After Iran launched the war against Israel in June 2025, Khamenei appointed him as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, granting him more power to develop military plans to respond to potential attacks and coordinate various government agencies.

He has held key positions, serving as speaker of parliament, presidential candidate, minister of culture, senior officer of the Revolutionary Guards, and head of the regime's propaganda department.

In his career, he often played a key role in dialogue, bringing Tehran closer to the Gulf monarchies and playing a diplomatic role during Obama's second term, which contributed to the achievement of the nuclear agreement. He is known for his pragmatism, having tried to get Iran out of isolation by contacting European diplomats including Javier Solana. He is also believed to have facilitated the decision to restart negotiations with the United States shortly after Trump's 2025 presidential inauguration, in an attempt to revive the nuclear agreement. Therefore, his death may further push Iran away from the path of resolving the current conflict through negotiations. (Translated by Wang Meng)

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (AP photo)

Original: toutiao.com/article/7618471582830264872/

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