Dangerous escalation

2026-03-18 - 21:41

THE second phase of high profile assassinations carried out in Tehran is a clear demonstration that the duo of the United States and Israel is bent upon pursuing their unholy agenda of a ‘regime change’ in Iran despite wide-scale condemnation of the sinister plan by the international community. Iranian security official Ali Larijani and the commander of Iran’s internal Basij militia, Gholamreza Soleimani, were killed in Israeli strikes with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claiming the killing of Larijani was part of an effort to give Iranians a way to overthrow their government. The regime change still seems to be a distant dream as instead of rising against their government, the people of Iran are coming out on roads and streets, once again, to condemn the killing of their leadership and as a mark of national unity and solidarity. However, given the stature and influence of Larajani in the governmental hierarchy, his assassination is surely a great loss for the country at a time of trial and tribulations. The target killing is yet another indication of the presence of black sheep and foreign agents in Iran as, according to reports, Larijani was hit when he was visiting his daughter’s residence in the suburbs of the capital. It is not a strange coincidence that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenai was targeted at a time when talks between Washington and Tehran were moving in a positive direction with bright prospects for a negotiated solution of the standoff and now again the top leadership has been martyred when circumstances were forcing the US to consider ending the conflict through talks. This has been confirmed by Britain’s security advisor Jonathan Powel, who attended the final talks between Washington and Tehran, who said, in his assessment, the offer made by Iran on its nuclear programme was significant enough to prevent a rush to war. Similarly, latest reports also suggested that a direct communication channel between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff was reactivated to discuss ending the ongoing war. It is in this backdrop that some commentators believe the second wave of leadership killing was unleashed to torpedo the possibility of a negotiated solution. Larijani was one of the Islamic Republic’s most powerful figures and a key architect of its security and foreign policy, serving as a close adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei before Khamenei’s killing in an airstrike last month. His role as the ultimate insider in Khamenei’s Iran gave him responsibilities across a wide portfolio that included critical nuclear negotiations with the West, managing Tehran’s regional ties and the handling of internal unrest. His loss has created a void that will be difficult to fill but reaction shows Iranians are firm to maintain their unity and fight out the war imposed on them. The latest development comes in the backdrop of reports that Iran’s new supreme leader has rejected de-escalation proposals conveyed to Tehran by intermediaries, demanding Israel and the United States first be “brought to their knees”. According to an official, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei had held his first foreign policy session since being named supreme leader and had taken a stance for revenge against the US and Israel that was “very tough and serious”. On the other hand, President Trump is facing intense internal and global pressure to end the unwise, unjust and ill-planned war. He is not only experiencing one of the worst experiences in the history of the country – coalition of the unwilling on Iran – but also growing opposition to the venture from inside. This was highlighted by his Director of the National Counterterrorism Centre Joseph Kent, who resigned on Tuesday candidly pointing out “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” The invaders stand no chance to realize their questionable objectives, therefore, the war should be brought to an end immediately as its continuation will only mean additions to their crime list.