The full text of the statement is as follows:

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

“And do not think of those who are killed in the way of God as dead; rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision.”

The Strategic Council on Foreign Relations offers its condolences on the martyrdom of Dr. Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and his companions, to the Supreme Leader of the Revolution, the esteemed President, the families of those dear martyrs, and the heroic people of Iran, and prays to Almighty God for the elevation of their ranks.

Dr. Ali Larijani, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Tehran, was a distinguished figure not only in academic fields but also in various spheres of governance. From the very beginning of the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, in the different positions he held, he was the source of prominent and influential services in cultural, media, legislative, and political dimensions. In his most recent responsibility as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, he played an important role in creating coordination among the country’s political, security, military, and administrative bodies, and he was able to carry out his responsibility in the best possible manner at a time when the country was engaged in another imposed war with the Zionist regime and the hegemonic United States.

Without a doubt, the crime of the bloodthirsty Zionist regime in martyring this soldier of the homeland, who was a point of hope for the country, will not remain unanswered, and the brave youth of our country, by filling the void left by him, will give an appropriate response to the crime of that regime. The enemies of a powerful Iran must know that the assassination of Iran’s leaders, as they have experienced since the beginning of the Revolution, will not create any disruption in the determination of the people, the officials, and the firm structure of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has been nourished by the blood of the martyrs of the homeland throughout its 47 years of existence, because others with even greater motivation will fill their places and continue their path.