ISTANBUL

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed Tuesday that Iran’s top security official Ali Larijani was killed in an airstrike.

In a statement released by his office, Katz alleged that Larijani and the Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani were “eliminated” in overnight strikes.

Israeli media earlier reported that Larijani, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, was the target of overnight strikes carried out by Israel.

There was no immediate response from the Iranian authorities to the claim.