Death of Larijani removes central plank from Iran’s state apparatus

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Iran last night confirmed the death of the country’s national security chief Ali Larijani, who was targeted by an Israeli air strike. Larijani was a central figure in Iranian politics, holding decades of institutional knowledge, managing the country’s positions overseas and coordinating between the supreme leader and the Revolutionary Guard, where he used to be an officer. The Israeli army said that Larijani “functioned as the leader of the Iranian regime” after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on 28 February. Many experts say that he effectively performed this role even before Khamenei’s death. Just last week he appeared in public to celebrate the Quds day rally among fellow Iranians. His assassination makes it even more unlikely that the US and Iran will negotiate peace any time soon.