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Ali Shamkhani

Updated: Wikipedia source

Ali Shamkhani

Ali Shamkhani (29 September 1955 – 28 February 2026) was an Iranian naval officer and politician who served as the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran from 2013 to 2023. He had previously served as commander of both the IRGC Navy and the Artesh Navy. Shamkhani was a member of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran and political advisor of the supreme leader of Iran from 2023. He was also one of the political appointees overseeing the Iran–United States negotiations aimed at reaching a nuclear peace agreement. In June 2025, Shamkhani was severely injured in an Israeli airstrike during the Twelve-Day War. Initial reports mistakenly claimed he had been killed, but he later reappeared in public. However, Shamkhani was killed eight months later in February 2026, during the 2026 Iran war.

Infobox

Appointed by
Ali Khamenei
President
Ali Khamenei
Supreme Leader
Ruhollah Khomeini
Chairman
Sadiq Larijani
Preceded by
Yousef Kolahdouz
Succeeded by
Yahya Rahim Safavi
Prime Minister
Mir-Hossein Mousavi
Born
(1955-09-29)29 September 1955 Ahvaz, Pahlavi Iran
Died
28 February 2026(2026-02-28) (aged 70) Tehran, Iran
Cause of death
Assassination by airstrike
Resting place
Imamzadeh Saleh
Party
Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organisation (1979–1981)
Spouse
Azarmidokht Tabatabaei
Children
5, including Hossein
Alma mater
Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz
Awards
Order of Fath (3) Order of King Abdulaziz
Allegiance
Iran
Branch/service
IRGC Artesh
Years of service
1981–2026
Rank
Rear Admiral
Battles/wars
Iran–Iraq War War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) 2001 uprising in Herat Insurgency in Sistan and Balochistan Syrian civil war Iranian intervention in Syria War in Iraq (2013–2017) Iranian intervention in Iraq Iran–PJAK conflict Western Iran clashes 2024 Iran–Israel conflict Twelve-Day War 2026 Iran war †

Tables

· External links
Preceded byYousef Kolahdouz
Preceded byYousef Kolahdouz
Military offices
Preceded byYousef Kolahdouz
Military offices
Second-in-Command of the IRGC June 1982 – 24 September 1989
Military offices
Succeeded byYahya Rahim Safavi
Preceded byMohammad Hossein Malekzadegan
Preceded byMohammad Hossein Malekzadegan
Military offices
Preceded byMohammad Hossein Malekzadegan
Military offices
Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy 30 October 1989 – 27 August 1997
Military offices
Succeeded byAbbas Mohtaj
Preceded byHossein Alaei
Preceded byHossein Alaei
Military offices
Preceded byHossein Alaei
Military offices
Commander of the IRGC Navy 23 December 1990 – 27 August 1997
Military offices
Succeeded byAli Akbar Ahmadian
Government offices
Government offices
Military offices
Government offices
Preceded byMohsen Rafighdoost
Preceded byMohsen Rafighdoost
Military offices
Preceded byMohsen Rafighdoost
Military offices
Minister of Revolutionary Guards 20 September 1988 – 21 August 1989
Military offices
Ministry dissolved
Preceded byMohammad Forouzandeh
Preceded byMohammad Forouzandeh
Military offices
Preceded byMohammad Forouzandeh
Military offices
Minister of Defense 20 August 1997 – 24 August 2005
Military offices
Succeeded byMostafa Mohammad-Najjar
Preceded bySaeed Jalili
Preceded bySaeed Jalili
Military offices
Preceded bySaeed Jalili
Military offices
Secretary of the SNSC 10 September 2013 – 22 May 2023
Military offices
Succeeded byAli Akbar Ahmadian
Military offices
Preceded byYousef Kolahdouz
Second-in-Command of the IRGC June 1982 – 24 September 1989
Succeeded byYahya Rahim Safavi
Preceded byMohammad Hossein Malekzadegan
Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy 30 October 1989 – 27 August 1997
Succeeded byAbbas Mohtaj
Preceded byHossein Alaei
Commander of the IRGC Navy 23 December 1990 – 27 August 1997
Succeeded byAli Akbar Ahmadian
Government offices
Preceded byMohsen Rafighdoost
Minister of Revolutionary Guards 20 September 1988 – 21 August 1989
Ministry dissolved
Preceded byMohammad Forouzandeh
Minister of Defense 20 August 1997 – 24 August 2005
Succeeded byMostafa Mohammad-Najjar
Preceded bySaeed Jalili
Secretary of the SNSC 10 September 2013 – 22 May 2023
Succeeded byAli Akbar Ahmadian

References

  1. Persian: علی شمخانی, romanized: ʿAlī Shamkhānī; Arabic: علي شمخاني
  2. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/14/world/middleeast/us-iran-nuclear-talks.html
  3. Ynetnews
    https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sjbbyz64el
  4. Middle East Eye
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/iran-confirms-killings-irgc-chief-pakpour-ali-shamkani
  5. زندگینامه علی شمخانی (in Persian)
    https://www.jamaran.news/%D9%85%D8%A4%D9%84%D9%81-84-%D8%B9%D9%84%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D9%85%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C
  6. "Iran-related Designations and Updates | Office of Foreign Assets Control"
    https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20200110
  7. Institute for Policy and Strategy
    https://web.archive.org/web/20120402141606/http://www.herzliyaconference.org/_Uploads/2615IranianDefense1.pdf
  8. Navy League of the United States
    https://web.archive.org/web/20110107173251/http://www.navyleague.org/sea_power/aug_01_17.php
  9. Los Angeles Times
    https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-nov-15-op-44226-story.html
  10. Iran Unveiled: How the Revolutionary Guards Is Transforming Iran from Theocracy into Military Dictatorship
  11. CACI Analyst
    http://www.cacianalyst.org/publications/analytical-articles/item/7799-analytical-articles-caci-analyst-2003-2-12-art-7799.html
  12. Iran International
    https://content.iranintl.com/senior-iranian-officials-commanders-killed/
  13. "Rouhani's Cautious Pick For Defense Minister"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20171107055608/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/08/rouhanis-cautious-pick-for-defense-minister.html
  14. JAMʿIYAT-E MOʾTALEFA-YE ESLĀMI i. Hayʾathā-ye Moʾtalefa-ye Eslāmi 1963-79
    http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/jamiyat-e-motalefa-ii
  15. Parliamentary Politics in Revolutionary Iran: The Institutionalization of Factional Politics
    https://books.google.com/books?id=Z_jPuuxfIv4C&pg=PA157
  16. "Khatami's Cabinet Choices: On the Record"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233832/http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/pdf/khatamis-cabinet-choices-on-the-record
  17. Electoral Studies
    http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0261379401000415/1-s2.0-S0261379401000415-main.pdf?_tid=edc14028-0a44-11e3-91c3-00000aab0f01&acdnat=1377077871_b856937fc8c085a003475cf08f3924e3
  18. The Journal of Turkish Weekly
    http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/128242/iran-to-down-other-us-drones-if-violations-continue.html
  19. Iran Briefing
    http://iranbriefing.net/?p=4154
  20. Al Hayat
    https://web.archive.org/web/20160306105557/http://lebanonwire.com/0808mln1/08081216dah.asp
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