Iran’s army chief threatens ‘decisive’ retaliation for killing of Larijani

2026-03-18 - 03:43

Iranian army chief Amir Hatami has threatened to launch a “decisive” retaliation for the killing of security chief Ali Larijani in an Israeli air strike. “At the appropriate time and place, a decisive, deterrent, and regretful response will be given to the criminal America and the bloodthirsty Zionist regime,” Hatami says in a statement. He adds that Larijani and the deaths of other “martyrs will be avenged”. Larijani is the most senior Iranian official to be killed since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, which is separate from the army, says it has already launched missiles at central Israel “in revenge” for Larijani’s death, AFP news agency reports. In Israel, two people are dead after an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv. Earlier, US President Donald Trump had criticised Nato and other US allies, saying he has been told they “don’t want to get involved” in the Iran war. (BBC News)