In a new twist, Iranian media now claims that Ali Shamkhani, top advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is alive and recovering from serious injuries in a hospital. Earlier reports stated that Israel’s initial wave of airstrikes on June 13 killed the key aide. “I am alive and ready to sacrifice myself,” reads the statement attributed to Shamkhani.
Ali Shamkhani’s Message To Khamenei
Ali Shamkhani reportedly said in a message addressed to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “The victory is near. The name of Iran will shine in the heights of history as always,” he added in the message that was published by a large number of Iranian state-affiliated media outlets. Several news outlets, including the IRGC-controlled Fars News Agency and the semi-official Mehr news agency, carried a statement attributed to Shamkhani. The news outlets also claimed that his condition was stable. Last week, it was reported that he had been killed in Israel’s initial wave of airstrikes on June 13. News of his death came alongside the reported killings of Revolutionary Guards Chief Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami, Armed Forces Chief Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, and Emergency Command Head Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid- all key figures behind Iran’s military operations. The IRGC confirmed their deaths on Friday.
Who Is Ali Shamkhani?
Shamkhani was a well-known political and military leader in Iran. He was Iran’s national security chief for 10 years and started advising Supreme Leader Khamenei in 2023. He had important roles in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and the defence ministry. He was becoming an important figure in Iran’s foreign relations, and people in Washington and Europe recognised him for his diplomatic work.
In the middle of 2023, the government removed him from his position as Iran’s top diplomat. Still, he stayed close to Supreme Leader Khamenei and continued to give advice when Iran restarted nuclear talks with the Donald Trump administration. Reports say he died during a wave of Israeli attacks that killed around 20 top Iranian military officers in less than two days, according to the Israel Defence Forces.
Israel’s Airstrike
The recent attacks have been one of the most serious blows to Iran’s top military leadership in decades. Israeli officials say the strikes have badly weakened Iran’s ability to launch more attacks. In response, Iran fired three large waves of ballistic missiles at Israel between Friday night and early Saturday morning. The missile strikes forced people across Israel to rush to shelters. Three people were killed, and dozens were injured in the attack. According to Israeli authorities, Iranian missile attacks have killed at least 25 people and injured hundreds more since then. Meanwhile, Iranian media reports that the Israeli assault killed 639 people and injured over 1,300 others.
