"Under the Skies of Tehran": the night that reshuffled Iranian power and Netanyahu's strategy

Shortly after one in the morning, the northern neighborhoods of Tehran were shaken by the sound of sirens and the crackle of anti-aircraft fire. In an instant, the capital became the scene of an operation that, according to Israeli authorities, targeted two top figures: the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, and the commander of the Basij militia, Gholamreza Soleimani. A double decapitation that Israel frames as a step in a strategy aimed at "destabilizing the regime" and "offering an opportunity to the Iranian people". Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated this several times in recent weeks, claiming coordination with the United States and constant contact with President Donald Trump. Tehran, for its part, has promised a response and the continuity of the chain of command. Meanwhile, from the Gulf to the Strait of Hormuz, tension takes another leap.

What happened overnight: targets and message 

On the morning of March 17, 2026, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani would be "eliminated" in a targeted operation. Iranian sources did not provide immediate confirmation; however, the news was picked up by international media with explicit reference to Israeli authorship. In parallel, launches of Iranian missiles and drones towards Israel and against some Gulf countries continued, demonstrating that the military apparatus of Tehran is not paralyzed. Sources: Associated Press, Axios (March 17, 2026).

The figure of Ali Larijani (former president of Parliament and, more recently, at the center of the security management team) is considered by numerous observers to be crucial in the phase following the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran on February 28, 2026: in the interim, he would have helped orchestrate an interim leadership and secure the repressive architecture while waiting for the choice of a successor. His alleged assassination, if confirmed, would strike at the heart of the chain of command. Sources: AP, Le Monde, Wikipedia (funeral status).

The second objective, Gholamreza Soleimani, led the Basij, a mass militia embedded in the Pasdaran (IRGC), employed in internal security and the repression of dissent. Targeting the Basij means touching the "raw nerve" of Iranian social control.

The Netanyahu Doctrine: "destabilize to open spaces for the people"

Since the beginning of the 2026 war, Benjamin Netanyahu has outlined an operational line that goes beyond mere neutralization of the nuclear threat: systematically weakening Tehran's power apparatus to create, he claims, "opportunities for the people". As early as the end of February 2026, immediately after the start of joint operations, the Israeli Prime Minister urged the various communities in Iran to "take their destiny into their own hands", thanking Donald Trump for the support and explicitly speaking of a historical window for internal change. This narrative has been accompanied by a dense synchronization with Washington, both in the first 48 hours of the campaign – when the United States claimed attacks against sensitive sites and Iranian military infrastructure – and in the following weeks, with periodic consultations between the two leaders. In December 2025, on the sidelines of a summit in Florida, Trump warned Tehran of "further strikes" should it seek to reconstitute the nuclear program, reiterating the convergence with Israel.

The operational framework: from "Epic Fury" to "Lion's Roar" 

The conflict that erupted on February 28, 2026 was marked by two operational codes: Operation Epic Fury for the U.S. device and "Lion's Roar" for the Israeli one. The campaign targeted objectives in Iran and triggered a secondary front in Lebanon, with Hezbollah, in addition to missile exchanges that also involved Gulf States. Sources: encyclopedic voices and live Italian reports.

At sea, attention focused on the Strait of Hormuz, amid episodes of interdiction and threats to energy traffic: Tehran alternated launches against military installations and warnings to opposing navies, while the USA and Israel claimed strikes against Iranian naval units. At alternating phases, this affected freedom of navigation and the insurance premiums of energy routes. Sources: TG La7 (live), Wired Italia, encyclopedic voices.

More recently, around March 13, 2026, operations against infrastructure in the Persian Gulf have been recorded – such as the attack on Kharg Island, a key oil and logistics hub – with the declared aim of degrading Iranian missile and naval capabilities.

Why Larijani and the Basij Matter: Anatomy of a System

Targeting Ali Larijani is akin to aiming at an institutional architect capable of holding together levers of security, politics, and intra-elite relations. In the Western imagination, he is often described as a “security technocrat”: having previously headed the IRIB, then serving as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and president of Parliament; in recent months, following the death of Khamenei on February 28, 2026, some media have portrayed him as a linchpin of the transition committee. If confirmed, his killing raises questions about: - The ability of the Supreme National Security Council to maintain decision-making continuity in managing the war and internal repression; - The possible strengthening of other segments of the apparatus, starting with the Pasdaran and the Office of the Leader, in the chain of command.

Internally, the Basij is the visible hand of control: it recruits among youth and peripheries, intervenes in protests, oversees campuses, and “fills the gaps” where regular police struggle. The removal of its commander, Gholamreza Soleimani, does not dismantle the structure, but deprives the organization of a coordination hub at a time of maximum intensity.