According to a report by AFP News Agency on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, the official social media accounts of Ali Larijani published a handwritten note on Tuesday, shortly after Israel claimed responsibility for a strike that reportedly killed him. Tehran has not independently confirmed Larijani’s death, and the note itself made no reference to the claims of his demise.
Larijani’s note, shared on his official X and Telegram accounts, was written in black ink and did not include a date. It read in part: “The sacrifice of the brave men of the Navy of the Army of the Islamic Republic aboard the Dena is part of the larger struggle of a resilient nation confronting international aggressors.” The message emphasized that the memory of the fallen sailors “will remain firmly in the heart of the Iranian people” and that their actions would “strengthen the foundations of the armed forces for years to come.”
The post appeared amid reports that Larijani, Iran’s top security official, had been killed in an Israeli airstrike. While the claims have not been officially verified by Iranian authorities, the timing of the note drew attention from analysts and media outlets worldwide, raising questions about the continuity of Iran’s security leadership during the ongoing crisis.
The deaths of the sailors aboard the Dena followed weeks of intense military escalation in the region. The conflict began on February 28, after coordinated strikes by Israel and the United States reportedly killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian leaders. That event set off a broader war across the Middle East, involving both direct military action and strategic attacks extending to international waters.
