Iran’s foreign minister has said that the killing of senior security official Ali Larijani in an Israeli strike will not destabilise the country’s leadership, stressing that the Islamic Republic’s political system remains resilient despite the loss of key figures.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran’s governance does not depend on any single individual.

His remarks came after Tehran confirmed Larijani’s death following an Israeli strike.

“Iran has a strong political structure with established institutions,” Araghchi said, adding that “the presence or absence of a single individual does not affect this structure.”

Larijani, 67, served as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and was considered one of the most influential figures in the country’s leadership.

He was a close associate of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his successor, Mojtaba Khamenei.

His killing marks the most senior leadership loss since the outbreak of hostilities nearly three weeks ago.

Araghchi pointed to the earlier assassination of Khamenei during initial US-Israeli strikes on February 28, arguing that even the loss of Iran’s top authority did not disrupt the continuity of governance.

“The system continued its work and immediately provided a replacement,” he said.

Iranian state media also reported the death of Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the Basij paramilitary forces, in an “American-Zionist” attack. Soleimani had been a key figure in Iran’s response to the ongoing conflict.

Araghchi reiterated that Tehran does not consider itself responsible for the conflict, placing blame squarely on Washington.

“This war is not our war,” he said. “The United States started it and must be held accountable for all consequences — human and financial — across Iran, the region, and the world.”