Larijani’s assassination strikes Iran at the top. But can it break what lies beneath?

Israel’s killing of Ali Larijani on March 17 marks one of the most consequential moments in its ongoing campaign against Iran’s leadership.
Coming weeks after the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Larijani’s death removes a central figure who had effectively stepped in to coordinate the state’s response.

He was not just another senior official; he was widely seen as the regime’s operational anchor in wartime — a bridge between political authority and military execution.