Live updates: Iran war news, Iran confirms Iranian security leader Ali Larijani killed, Oil and gas prices remain high

Iran war: Ali Larijani confirmed dead, Tehran vows retaliation

By Muhammad Asghar | GlobalBeat

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard confirmed that senior security figure Ali Larijani was killed during overnight strikes, state television reported early Tuesday.

Officials said Larijani died when missiles hit a facility near Karaj, 40 km west of Tehran. They did not specify the time.

Larijani, 66, headed the Supreme National Security Council’s strategic research division. His death removes a key adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The announcement followed six hours of conflicting reports. Local media first claimed Larijani survived. The guard issued a correction after dawn prayers.

Tehran’s stock exchange suspended trading for 2 hours. Brent crude rose to $94.70 per barrel, its highest since October.

President Masoud Pezeshkian convened an emergency security cabinet at 5 a.m., the government spokesman said. State broadcasters showed ministers arriving under heavy guard.

Revolutionary Guard commander Hossein Salami pledged “a response that the enemy will feel across the region,” the official IRNA news agency reported. He spoke at a base outside Tehran.

Larijani served as parliament speaker from 2008 to 2020. Western diplomats viewed him as a pragmatic interlocutor during nuclear negotiations.

The United States acknowledged conducting “defensive strikes” against Iran overnight. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the action targeted missile sites that had threatened U.S. vessels.

Oil traders said the news erased hopes of a quick cease-fire. “Markets price in prolonged conflict,” RBC analyst Helima Croft wrote in a client note.

Foreign airlines cancelled 18 flights bound for Tehran on Tuesday, airport data showed. Lufthansa and Emirates cited security concerns.

China’s embassy urged citizens to leave Iran “as soon as possible.” The notice appeared on its website at 7 a.m. local time.

European Union foreign ministers scheduled an emergency video conference for Wednesday. The bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas promised “a united response,” an EU statement said.

Background

Ali Larijani came from a prominent clerical family. He studied mathematics at Sharif University and philosophy in the West before joining the Revolutionary Guard in 1981.

He held successive posts during four decades: state broadcasting chief, culture minister, nuclear negotiator, and finally parliament speaker for 12 years. Diplomats credited him with shepherding the 2015 nuclear deal through the legislature.

Tensions escalated after the U.S. exited that agreement in 2018. Iran resumed uranium enrichment, while Washington imposed sweeping sanctions. Limited Israeli strikes on Iranian facilities began in 2023.

What’s Next

Iranian lawmakers will hold a closed session on Wednesday to discuss “appropriate retaliation,” the semi-official Fars news agency reported. The speaker said the agenda includes reviewing Syria-based assets and militia options.