Day 19 of the War (Morning): Iran Confirmed Larijani's Death and Launched Massive Retaliation, Cluster Munitions Killed Two in Tel Aviv

Iran's Supreme National Security Council officially confirmed on Wednesday the death of Ali Larijani, the council's secretary and de facto ruler of the country following the death of Ayatollah Khamenei. Also killed alongside him were his son Morteza Larijani, his office chief Alireza Bajat, and several members of his security detail. Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced the death on Tuesday evening — Tehran confirmed it several hours later. Larijani had served as parliament speaker and a key advisor to the assassinated supreme leader, with many observers considering him Iran's likely future leader. Al Jazeera ↗ NPR ↗

The death of Basij paramilitary commander Gholamreza Soleimani was also confirmed; Israel killed him in a strike on a makeshift tent headquarters. The Revolutionary Guards issued an official statement and declared a mourning period. Since the war began on February 28, these are the most significant figures killed after Ayatollah Khamenei himself. CNBC ↗

In response to Larijani's killing, Iran's Revolutionary Guards launched a massive retaliatory operation. The commander of the IRGC Air Force, Sardar Mousavi, announced a "swift strike," saying: "Tonight, the enemy's sky will become even more spectacular for you." The IRGC subsequently declared that its missiles had struck more than 100 military and security targets on Israeli territory as "revenge" for the killing of Larijani, his son, and his advisor. CNBC ↗

Missiles launched from Iran appeared over Tel Aviv on Wednesday, March 18. CNN cameras captured what appeared to be cluster munitions over central Israel — dozens of small bomblets scattering across the sky before impact. Impact sites were reported near the Savidor railway station in Tel Aviv, as well as in the cities of Petah Tikva, Rosh HaAyin, and Kafr Qasim. Magen David Adom paramedics in the city of Ramat Gan confirmed the deaths of a man and a woman who suffered severe shrapnel wounds. Footage from the emergency service showed a partially destroyed building and a street covered in debris. Al Jazeera ↗

Interceptions of Iranian missiles and drones continued in the Persian Gulf. Bahrain announced that it had neutralized a total of 129 missiles and 221 drones since the war began. Qatar intercepted 13 of 14 ballistic missiles launched from Iran. Saudi Arabia reported shooting down 12 drones in the eastern region. Kuwait's National Guard shot down a drone, and the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior arrested 16 people — 14 Kuwaitis and two Lebanese nationals linked to Hezbollah — for planning a "sabotage plot." Weapons, camera-equipped drones, and communication devices using Morse code were found on the detainees. Al Jazeera ↗

The war has also disrupted traditional celebrations of the Persian New Year. Iran's Red Crescent and fire department banned street gatherings for the Chaharshanbe Suri holiday — a fire festival symbolizing the victory of light over darkness that precedes Nowruz. The reasons cited were "ensuring public safety, protecting emergency service resources, and reducing the burden on the healthcare system." Prime Minister Netanyahu took the opportunity to send "Nowruz greetings" to the Iranian people — a gesture widely seen as propaganda. Al Jazeera ↗

Neighboring countries are preparing for a massive refugee crisis. According to UNHCR, 3.2 million people are displaced within Iran — approximately 600,000 to one million households. Turkey, which shares a 530-kilometer border with Iran and already hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees, has completed 380 kilometers of concrete wall, 203 fiber-optic towers, and 42 observation posts. The Interior Minister announced three contingency plans: intercepting refugee flows while still on Iranian territory, establishing buffer zones, or allowing controlled entry. The situation is complicated by Kurdish armed groups in Iraqi Kurdistan, who are reportedly negotiating with Washington for military support in exchange for joining the war against Iran, prompting the IRGC to strike Kurdish positions on Iraqi territory. Al Jazeera ↗

In the Iranian city of Arak, a three-day-old newborn and its two-year-old sister were killed in a US-Israeli strike on a family home, along with their mother and grandmother. Meanwhile, Amnesty International confirmed that a US strike on an elementary school in Minab killed at least 170 people, most of them schoolgirls. The overall death toll of the war has reached at least 1,444 killed and 18,551 wounded in Iran, 912 killed in Lebanon, 15 dead in Israel, and 13 American soldiers. NPR ↗ Al Jazeera ↗

Vice President JD Vance, an Iraq War veteran who rose to political prominence as an opponent of foreign interventions, has changed his stance and now supports the war in Iran. In 2024, he argued that a war with Iran "is not in America's interest" and would be "an enormous waste of resources." Now he says: "We are not at war with Iran, we are at war with Iran's nuclear program." Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene warned that supporting the war jeopardizes Vance's 2028 presidential ambitions. According to NBC News, Vance is betting his political future on a quick victory with minimal American casualties. NBC News ↗ CNN ↗