After "de facto top leader" was killed, Iran: will launch "hardest" strike against US and Israel

After the assassination of Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Tehran has further escalated its retaliatory actions. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran has stated it will launch the “strongest” strikes against the United States and Israel to date, intensifying the Middle East conflict.

According to the latest report from Xinhua News Agency, Major General Majid Moussavi, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, announced on the 18th that Iran plans to “initiate the strongest retaliatory strike against the enemy to date.” On the same day, Iranian Army Commander Amir Hatami said Iran would respond “decisively” to Larijani’s killing, aiming to “make the enemy regret.”

Iran also emphasizes the resilience of its system. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told Qatar’s Al Jazeera on the 18th that Larijani’s assassination would not deal a “fatal blow” to Iran’s leadership, nor shake Iran’s political structure. He stressed that the Iranian government “does not rely on a single individual,” and that personnel vacancies will eventually be filled.

Retaliation is already underway. CCTV News reports that Iran has launched missiles carrying cluster munitions toward the Tel Aviv area in Israel. Multiple alerts sounded in Israel early on the 18th, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed they detected and intercepted incoming Iranian missiles. Data shows that, due to the missile attacks, the death toll in Israel has risen to 14, with 192 more injured in the past 24 hours, according to the Israeli Ministry of Health.

Israel conducts targeted assassinations; the U.S. “is not ready to end the war”

Israeli airstrikes continue to expand. CCTV News reports that on the 18th, the IDF stated that on the 17th, the Israeli Air Force, in coordination with Israeli intelligence, carried out a series of airstrikes in the Tehran area, targeting Iranian military command centers, ballistic missile sites, and other infrastructure, as well as multiple Iranian air defense systems.

Additionally, CCTV International reports that an Israeli official stated that on the night of March 17, the Israeli military carried out an attack on Iranian Intelligence Minister Ismail Hatif, and is currently awaiting results.

On March 17, President Trump said at the White House that the U.S. “is not ready” to end its conflict with Iran and that it will “withdraw soon,” but did not disclose details of the “post-war” plan. Trump also mentioned that deploying U.S. ground troops into Iran would not become another Vietnam for America. Market pricing reflects increased concern over a prolonged conflict.

China News Weekly reports that the USS Tripoli amphibious assault ship has already embarked 2,500 Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and departed from the Indo-Pacific region heading toward the Middle East, with deployment expected to be completed by late March.

Larijani—“De Facto Top Leader”

On March 18, Iran confirmed to media that Larijani was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

China News Weekly analyzes that since the death of Khamenei in February 2026, Larijani has been regarded by the U.S. and Israel as the “de facto highest authority” in Iran, holding actual control over key decisions and leading strategies against the U.S. and Israel, including responses and the Strait of Hormuz blockade. His death has made external assessments of Iran’s power stability and the window for ceasefire negotiations more cautious.

Larijani, 68, was born into a Shia cleric family. He served as parliament speaker for 12 years and repeatedly held positions such as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and Security Advisor to the Supreme Leader. He possesses rare coordination ability and prestige across government, military, and the Revolutionary Guard.

The article notes that after the loss of many top military and political leaders, Iran’s current power structure remains unstable. The question of “who is leading Iran” has become a new focus. Under the pressures of wartime resource allocation and internal security challenges, the clarity of decision-making chains will directly impact the controllability of the conflict.

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