Who is Ali Shamkhani, Iran official reportedly killed in US-Israel attacks?

EXPLAINER News | Explainer Who is Ali Shamkhani, Iran official reportedly killed in US-Israel attacks? The former defence minister and secretary of Iran’s Defence Council was involved in US-Iran nuclear negotiations. Listen to this article | 3 mins Published On 28 Feb 2026 28 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media Share Save Add Al Jazeera on Google Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Defence Council and close adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has reportedly been killed in Israeli and US strikes on Iran. An Israeli military spokesperson said he was among several top Iranian officials killed on Saturday. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 Scattered fires, damage seen across Israel as Iran retaliates list 2 of 3 Nine months after 12-day war, US, Israel seek to topple Iran’s leaders list 3 of 3 Trump says Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei dead after US-Israeli attacks end of list There was no immediate comment from Tehran on his fate. The 70-year-old was overseeing the negotiations between the US and Iran over the Iranian nuclear programme, the latest round of which concluded on Friday. “If the main issue of the negotiations is not making nuclear weapons by Iran, this is in compliance with a religious decree issued by Iran’s leader and the country’s defence doctrine, and an immediate agreement is within reach,” Shamkhani said on Thursday. Shamkhani had also been targeted in an Israeli strike in June 2025, during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel. There were reports that he had been killed in the attack, but he was later confirmed to have survived. He was pulled from the rubble of his home, and had sustained severe injuries. He was recently appointed the secretary of Iran’s Defence Council, which was created after the war and coordinates Iran’s defence and national security policies, while mobilising resources to address threats. In January, he warned that Iran’s response to any US military action would be “immediate, all out,...