March 19, 2026 | 06:25 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the killing of senior security official Ali Larijani in an Israeli strike would not weaken the country’s political system, stressing that the Islamic Republic’s institutions remain strong despite the loss of top figures.
In an interview with Al Jazeera broadcast on Wednesday, March 18, Araghchi said Iran’s government does not depend on any single individual.
“I do not know why the Americans and the Israelis still have not understood this point: The Islamic Republic of Iran has a strong political structure with established political, economic, and social institutions,” Araghchi said.
He said the presence or absence of one individual would not affect the broader structure of the state.
“Of course, individuals are influential, and each person plays their role – some better, some worse, some less – but what matters is that the political system in Iran is a very solid structure,” he added.
Araghchi also cited the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, the first day of the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, as an example of the resilience of Iran’s political system.
“We have not had anyone more important than the leader himself, and even the leader was martyred, yet the system continued its work and immediately provided a replacement,” he said.
“If anyone else is martyred, it will be the same. If the foreign minister were ever to be martyred, there would ultimately be someone else to take the position.”
Attack Timeline and Casualties
According to Anadolu, Larijani, 67, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran on Monday night along with his son, his aide Reza Bayat, and several companions. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council later confirmed his death, while the Israeli military described Larijani as a central figure in Iran’s leadership and said the operation was a precision strike.
In a separate report, Reuters said Larijani was among the most senior Iranian officials killed since the U.S.-Israeli military campaign began on February 28. The news agency described him as one of the Islamic Republic’s most influential political powerbrokers and a key architect of Iran’s security policy.
Iranian media also reported the death of Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij, the paramilitary wing affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Soleimani had been seen as a key figure in Iran’s resistance to U.S.-Israeli attacks in recent years.
Larijani was last seen in public on Friday during Quds Day commemorations in Tehran, just hours before his name reportedly appeared on a U.S. list offering rewards of up to US$10 million for information on ten senior Iranian officials.
Since February 28, the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes have killed around 1,300 people, including Khamenei, according to regional media reports. Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes against Israel and U.S.-linked targets in the region, causing casualties, infrastructure damage, and disruptions to global markets and air travel.
NPR and other international outlets have also cited Iranian health authorities as saying the death toll has reached around 1,300.
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