The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on tuesday confirmed the killing of Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of Iran's Basij Unit. According to the Jerusalem Post, Soleimani and his deputy, Seyyed Karishi, were killed in a makeshift tent setup designed to make tracking them difficult, rather than at a known headquarters.

In a post on X, the IDF stated that under Soleimani’s leadership, the Basij Unit used severe violence and force against civilian demonstrators. The IDF said, “Yesterday, the IDF targeted and eliminated Gholamreza Soleimani, who had commanded the Basij unit for six years. Under his leadership, the unit carried out major repression operations in Iran, including widespread arrests, violence, and force against civilians.”

TPS news reported that Israel conducted an overnight airstrike in Iran targeting Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's National Security Council and former top aide to the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israeli officials have not confirmed whether Larijani was killed or injured. Larijani is considered a major power broker in Tehran and recently delayed the formal announcement of Mojtaba Khamenei as the next Supreme Leader, underscoring his political influence.

The IDF said the attacks also killed Soleimani in the same wave of operations. Speaking Tuesday morning, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir described the strikes as part of broader Israeli efforts in Iran: “The IDF continues to operate vigorously against multiple targets in Iran. Alongside damaging military and industrial capabilities, we are targeting elements of the Revolutionary Guards and the regime’s repressive apparatus. Last night, significant counter-terrorism achievements were recorded, with the potential to impact the campaign’s objectives and the IDF’s missions,” TPS reported.

Zamir added that operations also targeted figures from Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in Iran, including deputy chief Akram Ajouri and senior operative Muhammad al-Hindi, who had been hiding in Tehran. Ajouri survived a previous Israeli assassination attempt in Syria in 2019. Larijani had reappeared publicly last Friday during Iran’s Jerusalem Day marches, where he criticized U.S. and Israeli pressure: “Trump does not understand that the Iranian people are brave and strong. The more the United States pressures us, the stronger our will becomes. Attacks against Jerusalem Day marches show their desperation,” he said.

Ajouri, closely connected to Iran, manages PIJ’s international operations and finances and has ties to the late Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. These attacks are among the boldest Israeli strikes inside Iran in recent years. While officials have not confirmed whether all objectives were achieved, targeting Larijani signals Israel’s readiness to confront senior political and security figures in Tehran. Analysts warn that these developments may escalate tensions in the Middle East, where both Israel and Iran maintain aggressive regional postures, according to TPS.