Israel has claimed that its forces have killed Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani in an airstrike.
Iran has not yet confirmed whether Larijani has been killed or injured, but if the claims are true, it would represent a significant blow to the Iranian regime.
Larijani is the influential secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and served as Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator between 2005 and 2007.
Following reports about the death of Larijani, Iranian authorities called on the population to stage mass demonstrations against “enemy conspiracies”
The call, widely circulated by local media, invited citizens to gather in religious groups at 17:00 local time in public squares across the cities for a “popular assembly to thwart potential Zionist conspiracies,” referring to Israel, which Tehran does not recognise.
Chaharshanbe Suri, a pre-New Year celebration of fire and light, is set to take place on Friday. Reza Pahlavi, prominent opposition figure and eldest son of Iran’s former shah ousted in the revolution, urged peaceful celebrations of Chaharshanbe Suri and cautioned Iranians to “avoid any tensions, confrontations, or proximity” to security forces in the streets.
In a nation shaken by mass protests against the government earlier this year – culminating in January and met with harsh suppression – authorities have warned against renewed anti-government demonstrations during the festivities.
Tehran’s judiciary had previously issued warnings on Sunday against the usual street gatherings for Chaharshanbe Suri amidst security concerns.
On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested that the reported killing of Larijani offers Iranians “an opportunity to take control of their destiny.”
