Israel kills Iran’s security chief after massive intelligence hunt

Iranian National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani was reportedly Israel’s primary target after the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, The Jerusalem Post reports, citing senior Israeli Defence Ministry sources.

Extensive intelligence and operational resources were deployed to locate him. However, finding Larijani proved challenging. He had implemented multiple security measures to delay or evade detection by Israeli forces. Sources said he had been constantly moving between secret locations over the past two weeks.

The scale of Larijani’s precautions highlights the intense pressure felt by the remaining senior Iranian leadership, according to the sources.

“Special capabilities” that enabled tracking Larijani, combined with swift decisions by IDF Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir and political authorities, made the operation possible.

Sources explained that the connection between intelligence data and top leadership, which promptly ordered air force jets to undertake a critical mission 1,600 kilometres from the target site, paved the way for success.

Larijani was killed that evening, along with senior Basij officials, at separate locations, in what sources described as an almost uninterrupted operation. The sources added that Larijani’s elimination could also assist the United States in achieving strategic military objectives in the region.

By Jeyhun Aghazada