
Criminals have to pay soon for his blood: Mojtaba Khamenei on Larijani's killing
India Today
The assassination of Ali Larijani, one of Iran's most powerful decision-makers, marks a major escalation in the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war and comes amid a sustained campaign targeting the country's top leadership.
Iran’s newly elected Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Wednesday warned of retaliation following the killing of senior security official Ali Larijani in a strike blamed on the United States and Israel.
In a strongly worded statement, Khamenei said “criminals will soon pay for his blood,” signalling a direct warning to those he held responsible. The killing marks a sharp escalation in the ongoing conflict and comes amid a widening campaign of targeted strikes on senior Iranian figures.
Earlier in the day, Iran signalled it would continue its war effort despite the loss. Foreign Minister Syed Abbas Araghchi said the country’s political system remained intact, asserting that “the presence or absence of a single individual does not affect Iran’s political and economic structure,” in remarks to Al Jazeera.
Araghchi drew parallels with the killing of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the start of the conflict, saying the system had continued to function despite earlier losses, while also holding Washington responsible for the human and economic costs of the war.
The war involving Iran, the United States and Israel has seen the killing of top leadership figures, starting with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior military commanders, and has since expanded to include repeated strikes on high-ranking officials.
Larijani’s killing stands out as one of the most consequential, given his central role in both the country’s security architecture and its political establishment. He was widely seen as one of the Islamic Republic’s most influential power-brokers, with a rare ability to bridge competing centres of power within the system.













