Commander of Iran's paramilitary Basij force killed, Iranian state media says

Key Takeaways

• Gholamreza Soleimani, head of Iran’s all‑volunteer Basij force since 2019, was reportedly killed in a precision strike, according to both Israeli and Iranian state sources
• Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the deaths of both Soleimani and national security chief Ali Larijani in coordinated strikes, aiming to weaken Iran’s leadership structure in the ongoing conflict
• Soleimani had long been sanctioned by the U.S., EU and others for his role in enabling repression of mass protests; his death marks a major blow to Iran’s internal security machinery