Iranian MP Sparks Controversy Over Israel's Assassination of Ali Larijani

Revealed details about the Israeli airstrike that killed Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani and his son Morteza in Tehran were disclosed by Ismail Kouthi, a member of Iran's parliamentary Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy and former Revolutionary Guard commander.

Larijani was killed during an Israeli aerial attack targeting a site in the outskirts of the capital Tehran on March 16, 2026, while he was staying at his daughter’s apartment.

Iranian authorities, alongside the Israeli military, officially announced his death along with his son and several companions the day after the incident.

In a press interview, MP Kouthi stated that information reaching him indicated that his son Morteza had made a phone call to someone involved in the event on the same night, which enabled Israel to locate Ali Larijani and his residence in Tehran.

Kouthi clarified that the call made by Morteza while his father was with this individual—without disclosing further details about the person—was likely made to a relative of the Larijani family.

Kouthi did not provide additional information about the responsible party or the surrounding security conditions, but his statements have raised questions about the circumstances of the incident, whose full details remain undisclosed.

The Iranian judiciary denies the parliamentary MP's claim about tracking Larijani's location, while the family confirms that his son was not carrying a phone.

On Thursday, the Iranian Judiciary's media center denied the accuracy of statements made by MP Kouthi regarding how the late Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani’s location was identified prior to his killing during what is known as the "Ramadan War".

The center explained that ongoing investigations into the judicial file concerning Larijani’s killing and that of several companions do not support the claim that his location was exposed via a phone call made by his son to family members, emphasizing that judicial reviews have not verified this narrative.

It added that a judicial case has been opened in Tehran’s prosecutor’s office regarding the killing of Larijani and his son following the attack, which Iranian authorities describe as "American-Zionist," with investigations still ongoing to uncover the full truth of the incident.

Meanwhile, the Larijani family issued a statement rejecting what they described as "inaccurate speculation" sparked by MP Ismail Kouthi’s remarks, urging public figures and media outlets to refrain from making hasty and unsubstantiated statements.

The family affirmed that their son Morteza Larijani had not carried any mobile phone for months before the outbreak of the "Ramadan War" and until the day of his killing, noting that this hypothesis was never part of official investigation pathways.

The statement stressed that uncovering the truth requires professional, meticulous investigations based on evidence and documents, warning that disseminating unverified conclusions could mislead public opinion and harm victims’ families, and called for waiting on official results from competent authorities.