Biggest Hit Since Khamenei: Iran's 'De Facto Leader' and His Memes Find Out, Basij Commander Also Gone

In what is inarguably the biggest elimination on Operation Epic Fury since Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's de facto leader of the last few weeks, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, has been taken out by an Israeli air strike.

Larijani was also infamous for commanding the crackdown on anti-regime protesters in early 2026, an operation that reportedly killed up to 40,000 people, according to some estimates. He had recently appeared in public, surrounded by civilians as human shields, which his supporters claimed was a show of force and strength. So much for that.

🔴Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and the regime’s effective leader, has been eliminated.

Throughout the years, Larijani was considered one of the most veteran and senior figures within the Iranian regime leadership, and was a close associate… pic.twitter.com/kBIgSSGBm0
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 17, 2026

If you're on social media, you may recognize Larijani. Aside from running the regime while the new Ayatollah remains in hiding, possibly in a coma or dead, the now-former secretary had also taken on a very public role, trolling the United States online. That included posting memes during the dignified transfer of Americans who were killed in a drone strike in the early days of the conflict.

Now he and his fans have been made aware of what his memes are worth.

They really thought this was a meme war.

And now Ali Larijani has found out it’s not. pic.twitter.com/iyK6C7Uw91
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) March 17, 2026

For weeks, Larijani taunted President Donald Trump, claiming certain victory while essentially stating that any negotiations would require an American surrender.

Trump says he is looking for a speedy victory. While starting a war is easy, it cannot be won with a few tweets. We will not relent until making you sorry for this grave miscalculation. #TrumpMustPay
— Ali Larijani | علی لاریجانی (@alilarijani_ir) March 12, 2026

In the end, he was right, I suppose. Wars can't be won with a few tweets, something the once-prolific tweeter has now found out. While his threats were a boon to the anti-American segment online, in the end they were as worthless as those of his predecessors. Being a loudmouth only goes so far, and when the other side has top-shelf intelligence and precision munitions, it really doesn't go that far at all.

Larijani wasn't the only major figure hit over the last day, though. IRGC Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani and his entire senior leadership team were also eliminated in a strike.

The IDF confirmed it had assassinated the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Basij paramilitary militia, Gholamreza Soleimani, and his deputy, Karishi. The two were killed in a makeshift tent area. ✍️ @jeremybob1 ; @AmichaiStein1 https://t.co/48r6V44hxa
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) March 17, 2026

The Basij is a paramilitary group, composed of many non-Iranians, that has formed the backbone of the regime's street-level enforcement. When protesters were mowed down in the streets in January, it was mostly the Basij pulling the trigger. Reducing their ability to project power is a top priority because it will hopefully create an environment where Iranians can conduct a renewed revolution against the regime.

The last 24 hours have been a major success for the United States and Israel. We still don't know what the end of this will look like, including whether the regime will fall, but there's no doubt of the military dominance on display. Iran's capabilities have been demolished, and it's only going to get worse for them. Meanwhile, anyone who wants to step into a leadership role earns an expiration date with it.

Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.

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