State of the World from NPR Who were the Iranian leaders killed in airstrikes?
Mar 17, 2026
Reports on Israeli strikes that reportedly killed two top Iranian leaders and what roles those figures played in wartime operations. Coverage of Iran-linked missile and drone activity and rising tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border. Personal stories from over a million displaced Lebanese, crowded shelters, and struggles with sanitation, housing access, and children’s emotional trauma.
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Targeted Strikes Removed Iran's Political Conduit
- Israel reported it killed two senior Iranian figures, signaling targeted strikes at Iran's political and military leadership.
- One was Ali Larijani, a former parliament speaker and top advisor believed to be running Iran after the supreme leader's death, altering diplomatic channels.
Diplomatic Channel Through Larijani Now In Doubt
- With Ali Larijani gone, interlocutors to the international community may vanish inside Iran's security apparatus.
- Zaid Raad al-Hussein said Larijani seemed the one person the international community could talk to before his reported death.
Killing Of Basij Commander Targets Domestic Repression Apparatus
- Israel said it killed Gholamreza Soleimani who led the plainclothes Basij forces blamed for a violent crackdown on protests.
- He ran that repressive militia for seven years and was killed in a strike on a makeshift tent headquarters.