'Strong Political Structure': Iran Says Killing Of Top Leaders By US And Israel Won't Shake System

Last Updated:March 18, 2026, 08:35 IST

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said recent attacks, including those that killed senior officials, would not weaken the state’s functioning.

Iran asserted that targeted killings of its top leadership by the United States and Israel will not destabilise its political system, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasising that the country’s governance rests on institutions rather than individuals.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Araghchi said recent attacks, including those that killed senior officials, would not weaken the state’s functioning.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has a strong political structure with established political, economic, and social institutions," he said, adding that “the presence or absence of a single individual does not affect this structure."

His remarks come in the wake of Israeli strikes that killed prominent Iranian figures, including Ali Larijani, a key conservative figure within Iran’s establishment.

Iranian authorities said Larijani was killed along with his son Morteza and an aide. In a separate attack, Gholamreza Soleimani, who headed the Basij militia, was also killed.

Despite the losses, Araghchi insisted that Iran’s system remains resilient. While acknowledging that individuals play varying roles, he stressed that the underlying political framework is “very solid" and capable of withstanding such blows.

The comments also follow earlier claims by Tehran that the system continued to function even after the reported assassination of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, underscoring Iran’s emphasis on continuity of governance.

‘Mosaic Defence’ Strategy

Iran’s confidence is rooted partly in its long-developed military doctrine known as “Mosaic Defence," a decentralised strategy designed to prevent collapse in the event of leadership losses or large-scale attacks.

Developed under the guidance of Iranian strategist Mohammad Ali Jafari, the doctrine disperses command and operational authority across multiple regional units. Instead of relying on a centralised command structure, Iran’s military framework allows provincial and local units to operate independently if top leadership is disrupted.

Under this system, forces such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Basij militia, and regular army units function as semi-autonomous entities.

Each provincial command is equipped with its own intelligence, weapons, and leadership capabilities, ensuring continuity even if communication with central command is severed.

Araghchi has previously described the strategy as the result of a “two-decade study" of US military campaigns in the region, suggesting that Tehran has adapted its approach based on observed vulnerabilities in conventional warfare.

Military experts say the decentralised structure makes it significantly harder to cripple Iran’s defence apparatus through targeted strikes.

Analyst Michael Connall noted that the system was specifically designed to make efforts to degrade Iran’s military capacity “exceedingly difficult."

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