Israeli strike killing of Ali Larijani, Iran’s top security official, will not collapse the country’s political system, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with Al Jazeera. The minister emphasized that Iran’s government operates through a robust institutional framework, not dependent on any single individual. Larijani, 67, was killed in an Israeli attack on Monday, marking the removal of the highest-ranking figure in Tehran’s leadership since the war began 19 days ago. His death follows the earlier assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, during US-Israeli strikes on February 28. Araghchi noted that despite the loss of Khamenei, the system “continued its work” and swiftly replaced him, suggesting a similar outcome if other officials were targeted. The foreign minister criticized the US and Israel for failing to grasp the resilience of Iran’s political structure. “The Islamic Republic has a strong political, economic, and social system,” he said, arguing that the absence of one leader would not destabilize the regime. Araghchi also highlighted the role of institutions like the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its Basij paramilitary forces, which have been central to Iran’s response to the conflict. Iranian state media confirmed the death of Brigadier General Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij, in the same attack. Soleimani, a key figure in Iran’s military strategy, had emerged as a central leader in the country’s defense against the US-Israeli campaign. Al Jazeera’s political analyst Marwan Bishara described the pattern of targeted killings as “gangster” and “terrorism,” noting that assassinating political leaders is not standard in warfare.#al_jazeera #islamic_revolutionary_guard_corps #iranian_foreign_minister_abbas_araghchi #israeli_strike #iranian_supreme_leader_ayatollah_ali_khamenei
