PARIS, France, March 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - When Israeli and US strikes killedAyatollah Ali Khamenei at the start of the Middle East war, Iran's securitychief Ali Larijani became even more powerful than he had been for decades. Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that Larijani had beenkilled, though Iran's authorities have not confirmed his death. - Pragmatist -Adept at balancing ideological loyalty with pragmatic statecraft, Larijaniwas central prior to the war to Iran's nuclear policy and strategicdiplomacy. Larijani supported the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with world powers whichunravelled three years later after US President Donald Trump withdrew fromthe agreement. Larijani repeatedly insisted negotiations with Washington should remainconfined to the nuclear file and defended uranium enrichment as Iran'ssovereign right.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha March 17, 2026 11:14 UTC