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Top Iranian official, commander killed in strike, Israel defense minister says

US government previously offered reward for information on Larijani

By Alex Nitzberg
Fox News

Published March 17, 2026 8:27am EDT

Fox News’ chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reports on the death of Iranian official Ali Larijani in overnight strikes. A senior Israeli official confirmed the intelligence leading up to the strikes were part of joint U.S.-Israeli efforts.

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Iranian Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Larijani and Basij Commander Gholamreza Soleimani have both been killed, according to the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.

“I have just been updated by the Chief of Staff that Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and the head of the Basij — Iran’s central repression apparatus — Salimani, were eliminated last night and have joined Khamenei, the head of the annihilation program, along with all those eliminated from the axis of evil in the depths of hell,” Katz said, according to a translation provided to Fox News by his office.

The news comes more than two weeks since Israel launched a war against the Islamic Republic of Iran in conjunction with U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and the regime’s effective leader, has been eliminated,” the Israel Defense Forces noted in a post on X.

WHY GULF STATES AREN’T JOINING THE WAR AGAINST IRAN — DESPITE ATTACKS ON THEIR SOIL

Ali Larijani, left, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Gholamreza Soleimani, who commands Basij forces.(Courtney Bonneau/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images; Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

“Throughout the years, Larijani was considered one of the most veteran and senior figures within the Iranian regime leadership, and was a close associate of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. During the most recent wave of protests against the Iranian terror regime, Larijani personally oversaw the massacre that was carried out against Iranian protestors,” the post added.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN’S MILITARY ‘DECIMATED,’ BUT STILL NOT DECLARING WAR OVER

Another IDF post noted, “Yesterday, the IDF targeted & eliminated Gholamreza Soleimani, who operated as commander of the Basij unit for the past 6 years. Under Soleimani, the Basij unit led the main repression operations in Iran, employing severe violence, widespread arrests, and the use of force against civilian demonstrators.”

Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz in Athens, Jan. 20, 2026.(Nick Paleologos/SOOC/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. government had previously indicated that it would offer a reward for information on Larijani.

“Rewards for Justice is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on the key leaders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its component branches,” rewardsforjustice.net notes. “Under this reward offer, RFJ is seeking information on the following individuals,” the webpage notes, listing Larijani and others.

HAMAS REASSERTS CONTROL IN GAZA AS IRAN WAR DOMINATES REGIONAL ATTENTION AND GLOBAL FOCUS

President Donald Trump holds a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago club on Dec. 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida.(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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“Over a dozen Basij officials were targeted in Iran last night in different strikes, including the head of the Basij forces Gholamreza Soleimani. This was a joint U.S. and Israeli effort,” a senior Israeli official noted. “A strike in Tehran targeted the Basij commander and around a dozen others, including the most senior figures in the Basij forces—people with a lot of blood on their hands.”

Fox News’ Trey Yingst and Yonat Friling contributed to this report.

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

以色列称打死拉里贾尼 伊朗未确认或否认 | 联合早报

发布时间: 2026-03-17T14:46:44.000Z
来源: 联合早报

（耶路撒冷/华盛顿综合电）以色列周二称，伊朗最高国家安全委员会秘书拉里贾尼已被以军暗杀。伊朗随即发布拉里贾尼给伊朗阵亡士兵的手写悼词，但没有否认或确认他的死讯。

以色列国防部长卡茨周二（3月17日）说，以军在夜里对德黑兰实施精准打击，打死了拉里贾尼（Ali Larijani）。伊朗巴斯基（Basij）民兵指挥官苏莱曼尼（Gholamreza Soleimani）也在另一场空袭中丧命。

拉里贾尼社交媒体账号随即发布他写给伊朗护卫舰德纳号阵亡士兵的悼词。德纳号早前在斯里兰卡岸外被美军击沉，造成80多人死亡，阵亡士兵的葬礼料于周二举行。

拉里贾尼最近一次公开露面是上周五（3月13日），他当时出席了德黑兰的一个亲政府集会。 （路透社）

拉里贾尼最近一次公开露面是上周五（13日）。如果死讯属实，他会是继时任伊朗最高领袖哈梅内伊于2月28日战争首日死于美以空袭后，遭刺杀的最高级别伊朗官员。哈梅内伊之子穆杰塔巴虽已接替父亲成为最高领袖，但据悉他受了伤，职务可能由拉里贾尼代理。以色列形容，拉里贾尼是伊朗“实权领袖”。

拉里贾尼被视为伊朗政府中较为务实的人物，在与西方的核谈判中，曾发挥关键作用，但随着美伊关系陷入紧张，他的立场在最近几个月变得强硬起来。

半岛电视台分析指出，拉里贾尼被暗杀将让各方更难与伊朗政治领导层接触，而即使他真的已身亡，也不意味着伊朗政权已经垮台。无论如何，以色列将视这次刺杀为一项重大战略胜利。

目前，美以伊冲突未见缓解迹象。美国总统特朗普周一被问及战争能否在本周结束时回应：“没那么快，但肯定用不了多久。”

伊朗德黑兰这栋住宅楼周一遭受空袭，紧急救援人员随即赶到现场展开工作。（路透社）

俄罗斯否认穆杰塔巴赴莫斯科疗伤

路透社周二引述匿名伊朗高官报道，穆杰塔巴在上任后的首次外交政策会议上，拒绝与美国缓和紧张关系或达成停火的提案，这些提案由两个中间国家转达给德黑兰。

据悉，穆杰塔巴强调，目前不是实现和平的时机，伊朗必须击败美以，并让它们支付赔偿。

此前有消息称，穆杰塔巴已赴莫斯科疗伤。但俄罗斯塔斯社周二报道，伊朗驻莫斯科大使贾拉利否认有关消息。

特朗普批评盟友对护航反应冷淡

伊朗外长阿拉格齐周一与联合国秘书长古特雷斯通电话时说，所有关注和平与安全的国家和国际机构都有责任谴责美以的罪行，并要求两国停止对伊朗的军事侵略。他也说，霍尔木兹海峡航运受阻是美以发动战争导致的。

特朗普同日说，他很快就会宣布哪些国家同意为通过霍尔木兹海峡的船只护航。他批评一些西方盟友忘恩负义，对美国的护航请求反应冷淡。

包括德国、西班牙、意大利等一些美国伙伴说，它们没有立即派船协助打开霍尔木兹海峡的计划。

美国国家经济委员会主任哈塞特周二称，油轮已开始零星地穿越海峡，这表明伊朗已几乎什么都不剩，美国对战争将很快结束非常乐观。

航运数据和路透社的统计显示，受战争造成的中断和减产影响，在截至3月15日的一周内，波斯湾地区每日石油出口量较2月份下降了至少60%。

‘Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation’: Trump-appointed intelligence official resigns over Iran war

By Zachary Cohen, Updated 15 min ago

PUBLISHED Mar 17, 2026, 10:02 AM ET

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Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, testifies during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on December 11, 2025.

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc./Getty Images/File

A senior US intelligence official appointed by President Donald Trump abruptly announced he is stepping down from his post on Tuesday, citing misgivings about the administration’s war with Iran.

“After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today,” Joe Kent wrote in a post on X.

“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. 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,” Kent added in the resignation letter he attached to the post.

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Kent was a staunch Trump supporter, and his resignation marks the first high-profile departure of the president’s second term over a major policy issue. Some lawmakers and experts have raised doubts over the intelligence the president used to justify the war, and the departure of a key intelligence official will increase scrutiny of the administration’s case.

A senior US official confirmed that Kent was resigning.

The Office of Director of National Intelligence did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

After the initial wave of strikes against Iran, Trump cited an “imminent threat” to the US, and administration officials said the US acted in response to potential preemptive attacks by Iran on forces in the region — claims that were contradicted in Pentagon briefings to Capitol Hill, where defense officials said Iran was not planning to attack unless struck first.

Kent blamed Israeli officials and the media for misleading Trump about the threat posed by Iran.

“This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to victory,” he wrote in his resignation letter. “This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women. We cannot make this mistake again.”

Kent is leaving a crucial role at an organization tasked with monitoring intelligence associated with long-existing terrorist organizations in the Middle East as well as drug cartels and international gangs. Before taking on the position he served as a top aide to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

Kent earned his top position in part by being a vocal proponent of Trump’s 2020 election conspiracies. But Kent’s penchant for conspiracies led to clashes with other administration officials since taking office.

Last year Kent drew a rebuke from FBI Director Kash Patel and other Justice Department officials after he sought to access FBI systems to investigate the Charlie Kirk assassination, pursuing claims that there could have been foreign involvement in the killing, according to people briefed on the discussions.

Patel and other officials raised concerns that accessing FBI evidence could damage the prosecution of Tyler Robinson, the Utah man charged in the Kirk assassination, those briefed said.

Kent has extensive experience in counterterrorism and the military — he served 11 combat tours over a 20-year career in the Army before retiring to become a CIA officer — and has personal experience as a Gold Star spouse. His first wife, Shannon, was killed in a 2019 suicide bombing in Syria while serving as a Navy cryptologist.

Kent ran an unsuccessful campaign for Congress in 2022, during which past associations with far-right figures became a key issue.

Kent repeatedly had to disavow past interactions with Nazi sympathizer Greyson Arnold and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes. Kent said at the time he was unfamiliar with Fuentes and later said he did not want Fuentes’ endorsement.

During Kent’s confirmation hearing, he faced criticism from Democratic lawmakers who pointed to those past associations.

Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, described him at the time as a “conspiracy theorist who espouses white supremacist views and is patently unqualified for this important role in just about every way imaginable.” He was confirmed in a 52-44 vote in the Senate.

Trump’s rationale for attacking the Iranian regime has whipsawed from protecting the demonstrators who protested in the streets of Iran in January to defending the US against the risk of Iran building nuclear and long-range weapons and eliminating a regime that’s backed terrorist groups’ killing Americans for decades. He’s called for the Iranian people to take control of their country even as top officials say the war is not about regime change.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

CNN’s Michael Williams, Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck contributed to this report.

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Senate GOP aims to begin marathon debate on SAVE America Act under pressure from Trump

March 17, 2026 / 9:41 AM EDT / CBS News

Washington — The Senate is expected to begin a marathon debate Tuesday on the SAVE America Act, an elections bill that President Trump has been pressing Republicans in Congress to pass, despite its dim prospects in the upper chamber.

For months, conservatives have rallied around the legislation, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote, along with photo ID to cast a ballot. And Mr. Trump upped the ante last week when he threatened not to sign most other bills until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, adding to growing calls for Republicans to maneuver around the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold.

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune has been clear in recent weeks that Republicans don’t have the votes to do so. Instead, he has promised a “full and robust debate” on the legislation this week, teeing up discussion on the Senate floor that could last a week or more.

“I can’t guarantee an outcome on this legislation, but I can guarantee that we are going to put Democrats on the record,” Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said as he previewed the plan last week. “They will be forced to defend their outrageous positions on these issues, and explain to the American people why common-sense and the Democratic Party have parted ways.”

Republicans have framed the legislation as uncontroversial, comparing the voting requirements to the process of getting a library card. But experts say the bill would have implications for millions of Americans who don’t have access to certain documents, like a passport or their birth certificate, or those who have changed their names.

Noncitizens cannot legally vote in federal elections, and instances of noncitizens voting are rare. But polling suggests Americans are supportive of voter ID and proof of citizenship requirements. Ahead of the 2024 election, more than 8 in 10 Americans were in favor of requiring voters to show photo ID, according to Gallup, along with requiring those who are registering to vote for the first time to show proof of citizenship.

With 53 Republicans in the Senate, support from Democrats is needed to reach the 60-vote threshold to advance most legislation. And since GOP leaders are opting against deploying the so-called “talking” filibuster — which would gum up the Senate floor for weeks and require near-unanimous support from the GOP conference — the bill has no chance of passing.

But the exercise could force Democrats to take uncomfortable votes on amendments, while appeasing conservatives with ample floor time to make their case on the legislation that Mr. Trump has prioritized above all others.

Trump says SAVE America Act will “guarantee” midterm victory

---

After the president demanded that Congress pass the SAVE America Act last week and threatened a legislative blockade, he stressed to House Republicans that passing the measure will “guarantee” that Republicans win the midterm elections in November.He claimed that Democrats only oppose it because “they want to cheat.”

“They know that if we get this, they probably won’t win an election for 50 years,” Mr. Trump said.

In addition to the current legislation, the president has also demanded that lawmakers add a ban on all mail-in ballots, along with unrelated provisions to ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports and bar gender-affirming surgeries for minors.

On a press call Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer argued that the legislation “makes it harder to vote, and much easier to steal an election.”

“Trump is learning day by day that the only way he’s going to win is stealing it, and we are not going to let him win,” said Schumer, a New York Democrat. “We are going to do everything we can to block this pernicious, despicable, anti-American legislation.”

Schumer noted that Democrats support voter ID, but argued that “this is not a voter ID bill.”

“This is about purging the voter rolls in a massive way, so you never even get the chance to show a voter ID when you showed up to vote because you’d be knocked off the rolls,” Schumer said.

The Trump administration has demanded complete voter registration lists from nearly every state and the District of Columbia. At least a dozen states have turned over their voter rolls or say they intend to, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, while the Justice Department has filed lawsuits against a number of states that have refused.

The SAVE America Act would require states to take steps to ensure only U.S. citizens are registered to vote, including by establishing a program where the state identifies individuals who are not U.S. citizens. And the voter ID requirement in the bill says that if the ID does not indicate the person is a citizen, they would need proof of citizenship documents to vote, unless a state has submitted its voter registration list to the federal government and has indicated that the voter has been verified as a citizen.

How Democrats plan to approach the lengthy floor debate on the legislation remains to be seen. Schumer said Monday that “not a single Democrat” will support the measure, while promising to oppose Republican efforts to “burn time on this legislation here on the floor.”

Thune said Republicans expect “continued, full-throated opposition to voter ID and the SAVE America Act from Senate Democrats.”

“Republicans are looking forward to this debate,” he added.

马克龙：法国不参与重开霍尔木兹海峡行动

2026年3月17日 23:47 / 联合早报

法国总统马克龙星期二（3月17日）说：“我们并非冲突当事方，因此在目前情况下，法国绝不会参与任何旨在开放或解放霍尔木兹海峡的行动。” （法新社）

法国总统马克龙说，法国绝不会参与协助重新开放霍尔木兹海峡的行动，只有待局势恢复“平静”才可能协助护航。

路透社报道，马克龙星期二（3月17日）在讨论中东冲突的内阁会议开始时说：“我们并非冲突当事方，因此在目前情况下，法国绝不会参与任何旨在开放或解放霍尔木兹海峡的行动。”

马克龙这番言论直接驳斥美国总统特朗普关于巴黎愿意提供帮助的言论。

特朗普星期一（16日）在白宫活动上说，他已与马克龙通话，并暗示马克龙将参与美国支持的行动，更就马克龙的回应给予满分10分中的8分评价。

不过，马克龙说：“我们相信一旦局势平静下来，我特意用这个词来概括：一旦局势平静下来。也就是说，一旦主要的轰炸停止，我们准备与其他国家一起承担护航系统的责任。”

法国官员说，法国仍在推进组建联盟，以保障霍尔木兹海峡安全的努力，但前提是安全局势稳定，并且不依赖美国角色。

俄罗斯重申支持古巴 谴责美国干涉 | 联合早报

发布/2026年3月17日 23:06

美国日前加大对古巴的经济压力，实施石油封锁，导致当地多个地区停电。图为3月16日，古巴哈瓦那地区大规模停电。 （路透社）

美国总统特朗普扬言“接管”古巴后，俄罗斯重申对古巴的“坚定支持”。

路透社报道，俄罗斯外交部星期二（3月17日）发声明重申，将坚定不移地与古巴政府和人民站在一起，并继续向古巴提供必要的支持，包括物资援助。

俄罗斯外交部虽然没有点名特朗普，但对围绕所谓的“自由之岛”古巴的紧张局势升级表示严重关切。“我们强烈谴责任何企图粗暴干涉主权国家内政、恐吓和使用非法单边限制措施的行为。”

声明也说：“目前自由岛正面临前所未有的挑战，这是美国长期以来对古巴实施贸易、经济、金融以及近期能源禁运的直接后果。”

特朗普日前加大对古巴的经济压力，实施石油封锁，这已经严重削弱古巴本已陈旧的发电系统，导致当地多个地区停电。古巴电网运营商说，这次停电导致约1000万人断电。

《纽约时报》报道称，罢免古巴总统米格尔·迪亚斯-卡内尔是美国的一项重要目标。《泰晤士报》引述四名知情人士报道称，美方已向古巴谈判代表发出信号要求总统下台，但将后续步骤交由古巴方面决定。

克里姆林宫指出，已与古巴领导层取得联系，莫斯科准备提供一切可能的援助。

自1959年古巴革命以来，古巴长期是俄罗斯的亲密盟友，并在近年来通过财政与物资支援维持关系。

Top Trump counterterrorism official Joe Kent resigns over Iran, saying it “posed no imminent threat to our nation”

Updated on: March 17, 2026 / 10:34 AM EDT / CBS News

President Trump’s director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, announced his immediate resignation Tuesday, citing the decision to begin a war against Iran when “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation.”

Kent, nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate last year, posted his resignation letter on X Tuesday morning, saying he “cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives.”

“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Kent wrote. “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.”

He is the highest-ranking Trump administration official to announce his resignation over the Iran war.

Kent said that before last June, which is when the U.S. and Israel struck Iran’s nuclear facilities, the president “understood that wars in the Middle East were a trap that robbed America of the precious lives of our patriots and depleted the wealth and prosperity of our nation.” Kent knows the cost of war personally — his wife, Shannon, was killed by suicide bomber in Syria in 2019, leaving behind two boys.

He went on to accuse Israeli officials and some in the media of orchestrating a deception that led Mr. Trump into the war:

Early in this administration, high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran. This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to a swift victory. This was a lie and is the same tactics the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost the nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women.

“You can reverse course and chart a new path for our nation, or you can allow us to slip further toward decline and chaos,” he told the president. “You hold the cards.”

As director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Kent led U.S. counterterrorism and counternarcotics efforts and was the president’s principal counterterrorism adviser.

A retired Green Beret veteran, Kent was confirmed in July 2025, after Mr. Trump nominated him to the post in February 2025.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

北约和盟友不愿卷入战事 特朗普：美国不需要任何人帮助

2026年3月17日 23:57 / 联合早报

美国总统特朗普星期二（3月17日）在社媒发文批评北约说：“我们会保护他们，但他们不会为我们做任何事，尤其是在我们需要帮助的时候。” （彭博社）

美国总统特朗普说，美国已被大多数北约盟友告知，他们不想卷入伊朗战争。

路透社报道，特朗普星期二（3月17日）在社媒发文称，他对北约盟友的行动“并不感到惊讶”。他对此批评说：“我们会保护他们，但他们不会为我们做任何事，尤其是在我们需要帮助的时候。”

他也说，我们不再“需要”或“想要”北约国家的援助，也不再需要日本、澳大利亚或韩国的支持。“我们不需要任何人的帮助。”

特朗普此前表明，希望各国派遣军舰确保霍尔木兹海峡“保持开放和安全”。

不过，韩国国防部长安圭伯称，尚未收到美国方面关于向霍尔木兹海峡派兵的正式请求。安圭伯强调，根据韩国宪法，派兵一事须经国会同意，目前尚未讨论是否派遣部队赴中东地区。

日本首相高市早苗星期二在参院预算委员会会议上说，若派遣舰船赴霍尔木兹海峡可能存在日本成为恐怖袭击目标的风险，她重申“正探讨在法律允许的范围内能做些什么”。

The Odds: Marco Rubio 2028? | CNN Politics

By Ainsley Ehlers, CNN
Published 9:53 AM EDT, Tue March 17, 2026

CNN News Central’s John Berman and chief data analyst Harry Enten explore the data surrounding a potential run for President by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in 2028.

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