In a solemn gathering, thousands of Iranians came together in Tehran on Wednesday to pay their last respects to Iranian security chief Ali Larijani and his son, during a funeral procession that drew a significant turnout.

The high-ranking official was killed in Israeli airstrikes on Monday night, which also claimed the lives of his son, Morteza, and several bodyguards at a hidden apartment on the outskirts of Tehran.

Larijani, who led the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) and was a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was considered the de facto leader in Iran, playing a crucial role in managing the regime’s daily affairs.

He was notably responsible for orchestrating the harsh crackdown on dissent earlier this year, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 30,000 anti-government protesters.

In retaliation for Larijani’s assassination, Tehran launched attacks against its Gulf neighbors and Israel on Wednesday, deploying advanced missiles designed to bypass air defenses, which resulted in two fatalities near Tel Aviv. This escalation underscored the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

Despite the significant loss, the Iranian regime asserted that the assassination would not disrupt its military operations, announcing the swift appointment of successors within its political and military ranks.

As well as eliminating Larijani – the highest profile figure killed since Ali Khamenei on the first day of war – Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said a separate strike killed the Basij paramilitary force commander, Gholamreza Soleimani.

‘Larijani and the Basij commander were eliminated overnight and joined the head of the annihilation programme, Khamenei, and all the eliminated members of the axis of evil, in the depths of hell,’ Katz announced on Tuesday. 

Thousands of Iranians gathered to attend the funeral procession for Iranian security chief Ali Larijani and his son in Tehran on Wednesday

The top official was assassinated in Israeli airstrikes on Monday night, which also killed his son and body guards in a hideout apartment on the outskirts of the capital

He was responsible for architecting the slaughter of some 30,000 anti-government protestors earlier this year as the regime brutally clamped down on dissent

‘The regime’s leaders are being killed and their capabilities are being neutralised,’ he said in a televised statement.

‘Our military is making every effort to continue to strike and neutralise Iran’s missile capabilities, as well as its strategic infrastructure,’ he added.

Commentators are speculating whether the death of Larijani represents a more significant blow to the regime than the assassination of the Ayatollah on February 28. 

Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, is yet to make a public appearance since his appointment, and rumours are spreading that the 56-year-old is severely injured or may even be dead.

In contrast to the new leader’s invisibility, Larijani was a bold and confident figure, who moved deftly between Iran’s religious establishment and matters of foreign diplomacy.

Only last week did he defiantly appear on Iranian state television, warning Donald Trump to ‘take care not to be eliminated’ before taunting the US President for his ‘grave miscalculation’.

Marching through the streets of Tehran, in an attempted display of bravado, the military overlord dismissed the Israeli-US attacks on the capital as being ‘out of desperation’.

‘These attacks are out of fear, out of desperation. One who is strong wouldn’t bomb demonstrations at all. It’s clear that it has failed,’ Larijani declared at the Quds Day march.

The 67-year-old was at the time one of the most powerful figures in the Iranian establishment – masterminding the country’s defence while distilling fear among the civilian population – and it is still unclear who, if anyone, has the ability to replace him. 

Only last week did Larijani defiantly appear on Iranian state television, warning Donald Trump to ‘take care not to be eliminated’

This is a breaking story. More to follow