Ali Larijani, the highest-ranking Iranian official killed since former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated on February 28, has fallen to Israeli airstrikes in a deepening blow to Tehran's command structure. The man long regarded as one of Iran's most experienced political operators, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, will not witness what comes next.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council confirmed Larijani was killed along with his son Morteza Larijani and the head of his office, Alireza Bayat, as well as several guards. Larijani, the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, was among the most senior leaders of the regime still alive in Iran after top leaders including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei were killed at the start of the war, and was one of the regime's most experienced insiders and deeply trusted by the late Khamenei.
In his final messages, Larijani was blunt, framing the war as an existential struggle and challenging Muslim countries directly, asking them, "Which side are you on?" over their apparent silence as the violence raged on. He justified Iran's strikes across the region in response to the US-Israeli attacks, appearing to warn that there is no middle ground in the ongoing confrontations, while also emphasising that Iran is not seeking domination over its neighbours.
What remains striking is the defiant posture Iran maintains even as its leadership is systematically dismantled. The same day Larijani fell, Tehran defiantly fired new salvos of missiles and drones at its Gulf Arab neighbours and Israel. The question analysts are asking is whether killing senior officials actually weakens Iran's resolve or simply strengthens its narrative of embattlement.
Far from Tehran, the conflict has reached Australian shores in an unexpected way. An Iranian projectile hit an area near the Al Minhad joint air base in the United Arab Emirates where Australian soldiers are stationed, striking a road near the base at 9:15 a.m. and starting a fire which caused minor damage to an accommodation block and medical facility. The base, located about 40 kilometres outside Dubai, has long served as a key logistical and operational hub for the Australian Defence Force.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that no Australian personnel were injured and everyone stationed there is safe. Around 100 ADF members are currently deployed across several Middle Eastern countries, with most stationed in the UAE. This marks yet another instance of Australian bases coming under fire; in 2019, an Iraqi military base housing more than 300 ADF personnel was struck by rockets while Australian and New Zealand forces were engaged in a joint mission to train Iraqi troops.
Albanese said Iran is continuing to engage in random attacks across the Gulf region. The deeper issue facing the government, however, is Australia's exposed position in a conflict it has deliberately stayed out of. Australia is not central to the issues in the Middle East and did not participate in the US-Israeli strikes, nor does it anticipate participating in the future, yet it maintains a substantial military footprint directly in Iran's path of fire.
Analysts suggest the US and Israel are playing a "game of Whac-A-Mole" as they target Iranian leaders, with the observation that there's always another leader and this may not suggest any kind of collapse of the Iranian regime. The killing of Larijani may have weakened Iran's immediate command capability, but it has not produced the ceasefire Tehran's enemies desire. Ali Larijani previously ruled out talks with the Americans, and that stance appears to have only hardened since.
As the conflict enters its third week with no diplomatic off-ramp in sight, Australia's measured position of supporting regional stability while refusing active military involvement faces a practical test. The missile that struck near Australian forces on March 17 carried a message: in a regional war, neutrality offers scant protection when your military infrastructure sits in the middle of the battlefield.