After the killing of Iran’s chief of security, Ali Larijani, in an Israeli air raid, the German federal government has not issued a definitive assessment of the regime’s stability. A spokesperson for the Foreign Office explained that Larijani, as chairman of the Supreme National Security Council, played a “central role” in the Iranian system. The government is monitoring how his death will affect the regime’s stability and future direction, but the official could not comment further due to lack of information.
Israel has intensified its strikes against Iranian leadership. On the same day Larijani was killed, the commander of the influential paramilitary Basij force, Gholamreza Soleimani, was also shot down in an Israeli air attack. Later that Wednesday, Israel announced the death of Iranian intelligence minister Esmaeil Khatib.
Regarding the international‑law classification of this strategy, the Foreign Office spokesperson referred to earlier statements: humanitarian international law applies in principle. “Combatants can be legitimate targets of armed attack – for instance, members of the armed forces of a conflict party”.
