Iran confirmed Tuesday evening the death of Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, in an air strike that also killed his son Morteza, several bodyguards, and Alireza Bayat, the council’s deputy secretary for security affairs.

The council’s secretariat announced the deaths in an official statement, describing Larijani in terms reserved for those who die in the service of the Islamic Republic.

“The pure souls of the martyrs embraced the pure soul of the righteous servant of God, Martyr Dr. Ali Larijani,” the statement read. “After a lifetime of struggle for the advancement of Iran and the Islamic Revolution, he finally achieved his long-held ambition, answered the divine call, and honorably attained the sweet grace of martyrdom at the frontier of service,” it added.

Larijani was one of Iran’s most senior and longest-serving security and political figures, having also previously served as speaker of the Iranian parliament.