Israel claims it killed top Iranian security official Ali Larijani

Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Tuesday that Iranian security chief Ali Larijani was killed in a strike.

The claim came amid widespread Israeli strikes targeting cities including Tehran, Shiraz and Tabriz, according to Al Jazeera.

Iranian authorities had not commented on Larijani's fate at the time of reporting. He was seen taking part in the Quds Day rally last Friday.

However, Iranian media released a handwritten note by Larijani on the same day as Israeli allegations, which also marked the eve of a funeral ceremony for naval forces.

Larijani's X account also published his handwritten note later, but it's not clear whether Larijani himself posted it.

Ali Larijani was the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and a confidant of the slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as a former speaker of the Iranian Parliament.

The conflict has entered its 18th day with no end in sight.

Iran's ​Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba ‌Khamenei has rejected proposals for ‌de-escalation ‌or a ‌ceasefire with ‌the US that were conveyed to ‌Tehran by representatives from two countries acting as intermediaries, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing a ‌senior Iranian official.

Khamenei's stance towards the US and Israel was "very tough and serious" during ​his ​first ‌foreign policy session, the ‌official said, without clarifying whether the leader attended in person.