Israel Targets Iranian National Security Chief Ali Larijani in High-Stakes Precision Strike on Tehran

Israeli jets target Iran's National Security chief Ali Larijani and Islamic Jihad leaders in Tehran. IDF Chief of Staff cites "significant achievements."

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 17, 2026, 4:12 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Times of Israel

Precision Strike on Iranian High Command

In a dramatic expansion of its aerial campaign within the Islamic Republic, Israeli forces targeted Ali Larijani, one of Iran’s most influential security officials, during an overnight operation. Larijani, who serves as the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, was the primary focus of the strike, though Israeli officials have yet to confirm whether he was killed or wounded in the attack. The targeting of such a high-ranking member of the Iranian leadership signifies a departure from infrastructure-focused missions, moving toward a strategy of decapitating the regime’s strategic and military decision-making hierarchy during this ongoing conflict.

Neutralizing Palestinian Islamic Jihad Leadership

Parallel to the mission targeting Larijani, a separate Israeli airstrike targeted a safe house in Tehran housing senior members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Defense sources identified Akram al-Ajouri, a prominent leader within the militant group, as a primary target of the raid alongside several other high-ranking operatives. These individuals were reportedly utilizing the Iranian capital as a secure base to coordinate militant activities within the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The IDF stated that the destruction of this safe house was intended to sever the operational links between Tehran’s regional planners and active combat cells on the Palestinian front.

Official Confirmation of Elimination Achievements

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir provided a preliminary assessment of the overnight operations, characterizing them as "significant elimination achievements." While Zamir did not mention Larijani by name, his remarks regarding the potential impact on the campaign’s long-term missions were widely interpreted as a reference to the high-level strike against the National Security Council chief. According to Zamir, these operations represent a concerted effort to degrade the leadership of both the Iranian state and the "external elements" that facilitate regional instability from within Iranian borders.