Tehran, Iran – In a dramatic development reflecting the state of high alert within Tehran’s decision-making circles, the Iranian news agency Didban reported on Thursday the appointment of former Defense Minister and prominent Revolutionary Guard general Hussein Dehghan as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.
This urgent appointment comes in response to the significant security and political vacuum left
by the assassination of Ali Larijani, a pillar of the Iranian regime, in what has been described as the most violent airstrike.
Details of the treacherous operation
The Islamic Republic officially mourned Larijani on Tuesday night,
who was targeted in a joint airstrike carried out by Israeli and American warplanes.
According to the Fars News Agency, the raid targeted the home of Larijani’s daughter in the Pardis district of Tehran,
killing him along with his son Morteza, his security aide Ali Reza Bayat, and several of his companions.
For its part, Israel’s Channel 12, citing a senior official, confirmed that the operation targeted
a “secret apartment” where Larijani was present to manage sensitive security files.
Larijani: The departure of the “brain of the regime”
Larijani’s absence represents a significant loss for the Iranian political establishment.
He comes from an influential religious and elite family and has held pivotal positions that made him a “man for difficult missions.”
Larijani rose through the ranks from the leadership of the Revolutionary Guard during the Iran-Iraq War to head the state broadcasting corporation.
He then served as Speaker of Parliament for 12 years. He was also known
as a skilled negotiator on the nuclear issue and an architect of Tehran’s regional relations.
Furthermore, he maintained a delicate balance between pragmatism and unwavering loyalty to the regime.
Hussein Dehghan: The man for the difficult times
The selection of Hossein Dehghan as his successor is seen as a show of strength, given his rigorous military background
and extensive experience in defense manufacturing and managing sovereign crises.
The international community is watching closely to see how Dehghan will handle the fallout from this major security breach,
especially with reports of other figures, such as the commander of
the Internal Security Forces, Ahmad Reza Radan, being injured or targeted.
