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Iran has intensified attacks targeting U.S. assets in the Middle East and Israel in apparent retaliation against the killing of Iran's security chief Ali Larijani.
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The killing, which Iran confirmed, could embolden Iranian hard-liners, as the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign continues.
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Ali Larijani, Iran's lead security official, and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani were "eliminated," Israel said. Iran has not commented on the strikes.
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Mr. Larijani, the top national security official and a confidante of the former supreme leader, expertly navigated Iran's internal politics and led the brutal crackdown on protests this year.
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Israel's killing of Ali Larijani, a pivotal Iranian leader, served only to escalate the crisis atmosphere that Iranians are feeling: How to cope and envision a future, while facing crushing U.S.-Israeli attacks and a rigid regime that sees protesters as "just like the enemy."
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Larijani has long been seen as one of the Islamic Republic's most experienced and influential policy makers.
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As Iran's top national security official, Mr. Larijani had a reputation for acting as a bridge between hard-line figures in the armed forces and more moderate political factions.
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