The Israel Defense Forces, which claimed to have eliminated Ali Larijani, the secretary-general of the Supreme National Security Council and effectively Iran's security chief, vowed to track down and eliminate the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, as well.
On the 17th (local time), according to The Times of Israel, Brig. Gen. Efi Defrin, the Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson, said at a news conference that "as seen in the cases confirmed yesterday of Secretary-General Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani, we are striking the entirety of the Iranian regime's leadership."
He added, "I do not know the current situation of Mojtaba Khamenei. His voice and image have not been verified," but stressed, "One thing I can say for sure is that, as we have already proven, we will pursue to the end anyone who threatens or opposes Israel."
Defrin, the Spokesperson, reiterated, "He (Mojtaba) is no exception," adding, "We will track him down and find him, and ultimately neutralize him." Mojtaba has not appeared in public since being chosen as Iran's new supreme leader. On the 12th, he issued a statement via state TV, but it was read by an anchor with no recorded voice.
Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces claimed the previous day that they had eliminated Larijani. The military said it carried out targeted airstrikes overnight, resulting in the deaths of Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani, head of Iran's paramilitary Basij.