Is Israel trying to partition Iran? Larijani claims amid escalating Middle East conflict

Tehran: Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, accused Israel on Sunday of “seeking to partition” Iran following its joint attacks with the United States.

In a statement published by the Fars state news agency, Larijani said the Israeli “regime has no choice but to resort to partitioning large countries in order to ensure its own survival.”

He also called US President Donald Trump “the perfect symbol of plunder,” alleging that Trump sought to grab resources from Iran.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had earlier designated Larijani as the leader in charge. Following Khamenei’s death, Larijani vowed: “America and the Zionist regime burned the hearts of the Iranian nation, and we will burn their hearts too.”

How is Iran retaliating?

The accusations come as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed attacks on 27 US bases across the Middle East, part of ongoing retaliation for the US–Israeli strikes that killed Khamenei. According to Iranian state media, the strikes targeted key military installations, including the Tel Nof airbase, Israel’s army command headquarters at HaKirya in Tel Aviv, and a major defence industrial complex in the city.

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Meanwhile, Iran launched a large-scale missile barrage toward Israel on Sunday, setting off air raid sirens across central Israel and the occupied West Bank. Explosions were also reported in the skies over Doha and Dubai, signalling the regional fallout of the confrontation.

Who will lead Iran next?

Larijani also addressed the leadership transition following Khamenei’s death.

“An interim leadership council will soon be formed. The president, the head of the judiciary and a jurist from the Guardian Council will assume responsibility until the election of the next leader,” he said in an interview broadcast on state TV.

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“This council will be established as soon as possible. We are working to form it as early as today,” added Larijani, who was an adviser to Khamenei and heads Iran’s top security body.

Could the US escalate further?

In response to Iran’s strikes, President Donald Trump warned that the United States would hit Iran with “force that has never been seen before” if Tehran retaliated further. “THEY BETTER NOT DO THAT, HOWEVER, BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE WILL HIT THEM WITH A FORCE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!” he said on his Truth Social platform early Sunday.

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Trump described the US–Israeli bombing campaign that killed Khamenei as the result of a historic military buildup in the Middle East, saying the campaign would continue “as long as necessary.” He added that Khamenei’s death gives Iranians their “greatest chance” to seize power from the current regime.

Iran has already retaliated, with reported strikes across the Gulf, including Abu Dhabi and areas near US military bases in the region.