The date of Larijani's funeral and details of the expected Iranian response
The Iranian capital, Tehran, is preparing for the funeral of Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, on Wednesday, an event watched closely by the world. The ceremony comes amid heightened regional tensions and anticipation, with Iranian military leaders vowing a harsh and decisive response against Israel, which carried out the assassination.
Details of the funeral procession for Larijani and the accompanying leaders
The funeral procession for Larijani is scheduled to begin on Wednesday at 10:30 GMT in Tehran. The procession will also include the funeral of Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij militia affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who was assassinated by Israel on Tuesday, according to the Iranian news agencies Fars and Tasnim.
This event is a pivotal turning point, especially as it comes amidst an unprecedented escalation and a US-Israeli war on Iran that erupted on February 28. These confrontations resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day, leading to the indefinite postponement of his funeral due to the complex security situation in the country.
The historical context of the shadow war and the rise of assassinations
This escalation did not emerge from a vacuum; rather, it is the culmination of decades of persistent tension and a shadow war between Tehran and Tel Aviv. Historically, the region has witnessed a series of reciprocal intelligence and military operations. Over the years, Israel has targeted numerous leading Iranian figures and scientists, such as the assassination of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, and the targeting of prominent leaders in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria and Lebanon. In response, Iran has relied on the “axis of resistance” strategy to bolster its regional influence and create a deterrent around Israel. The shift in these confrontations from proxy wars and covert operations to direct confrontation and assassinations targeting the highest levels of the political and security establishment in Tehran reflects a fundamental change in the rules of engagement that have governed the Middle East for decades.
Regional and international repercussions of the recent event
This dangerous development has profound repercussions that extend beyond Iran's borders to encompass the regional and international arenas. Domestically, Iran faces an unprecedented challenge in restructuring its internal affairs and filling the significant leadership vacuum within its sovereign institutions, particularly the Supreme National Security Council and the office of the Supreme Leader. Regionally, the region teeters on the brink of a full-blown war that could draw in multiple parties, threatening the security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil consumption passes. This explains the state of high alert in neighboring capitals. Internationally, these developments present major powers, especially the United States, with a difficult test in managing the crisis and preventing the global economy from sliding into a severe recession due to the anticipated surge in energy prices.
Iran's threat of a decisive and regrettable response
In this tense atmosphere, official and military reactions in Tehran were swift. The commander-in-chief of the Iranian army, Amir Hatami, issued a strongly worded statement asserting that the response to these assassinations would be “decisive and regrettable.” This statement reflects a clear inclination toward military escalation, which could include the use of Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal or the activation of multiple fronts through its allies in the region. The next few days will be crucial in determining the course of the conflict, as the international community anxiously awaits the nature and scale of the Iranian response, which could redraw the geopolitical map of the entire Middle East.
