Did Tehran residents out Ali Larijani? How top Iran official was located, killed by Israel

Ali Larijani, Iran's security chief, was Israel's number one target after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was assassinated on February 28.

On March 13 , Ali Larijani, Iran's security chief, valiantly walked through the streets of Tehran, sporting his signature black sunglasses, along with President Masoud Pezeshkian and foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as part of Iran's Quds Day rally. It was seen as a rather bold move as Israel and US had their targets set on top Iranian leaders following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, the first day of Iran-US war, the end of which is nowhere in sight now. Track Middle East conflict

A mourner holds a picture of Iran's security chief Ali Larijani during his funeral alongside Gholamreza Soleimani, a senior officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who commands Basij forces, in Tehran on March 18, 2026. (AFP)

Days later, Larijani was killed as Tehran confirmed his assassination on Tuesday. Larijani was Israel's number one target after Khamenei, and his killing is a major blow to the Iranian power structure already jolted by Khamenei's killing.

Iran's Fars news agency said Larijani was targeted by “American and Zionist regime fighter jets” while he was at his daughter’s house in the Pardis district east of Tehran. Larijani's son was also among those killed in the strikes at his daughter's house. General Gholam Reza Soleimani, the commander of the country’s paramilitary Basij unit, was killed in another strike.

Iranian security chief Ali Larijani during Quds day procession in Tehran on March 13. (via REUTERS)

A close aide of slain Khamenei and his son Mojtaba who has taken the charge as Supreme Leader following his father's death, Larijani wasn't easy to locate on account of his experience at avoiding detection.

He reportedly took a number of precautions to delay and avoid being located by Israel before he was finally spotted early this week at his daughter's house in suburb Tehran.

How was Ali Larijani spotted?

Larijani was constantly moving and changing his locations for the last two weeks, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing sources. The report said Larijani was tracked with "special capabilities" and his assassination was made possible by ‘fast decision’ by IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.

While the report did not elaborate on what the ‘special capabilities’ were, another official said Larijani's assassination was made possible by ‘valuable intelligence’ of Tehran residents, "The assassination of Larijani was made possible thanks to valuable intelligence that Israeli intelligence services received from residents of Tehran over the past 24 hours," an Israeli official was quoted as saying by Iran International, adding that Larijani behaved arrogantly in the recent days and appeared frequently in public (including at Quds Day rallies).

Larijani, by moving in public frequently and engaging with local and international media, may have led to his identification and the subsequent assassination.

Mojtaba Khamenei vows revenge

Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has vowed to take revenge for Larijani's killing. In a statement on Wednesday, Mojtaba said “Every drop of blood has its due retribution that the criminal murderers of these martyrs will soon have to pay.”

“Let the adversaries of Islam know that shedding the blood of such people at the foot of the mighty tree of the Islamic system will only make it stronger,” Mojtaba said. Iran's intelligence minister Esmail Khatib has also been killed by the Israeli military which vowed to continue targeting senior Iranian officials.

Middle East tensions flare up

The simmering tensions in the Middle East have flared up further after Larijani's killing as Tehran vowed to take revenge by striking US facilities in the region. Several oil facilities have come under attack and Iran Guards said it had launched strikes on 100 military and security targets as retaliation for Larijani's killing.