The military campaign ‘Rising Lion,’ launched by Israel against Iran on June 13, 2025, resulted in the deaths of dozens of high-ranking officials within Iran’s military leadership and several scientists working on the country’s nuclear program. One of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s closest aides, Ali Shamkhani, had been reported dead following a devastating Israeli airstrike during the early hours of the conflict. As a high-value target with a long history as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, his reported death was widely covered.
However, a dramatic twist has emerged, as Shamkhani appeared alive at the funerals of Iranian military officers and scientists killed in the Israeli strikes. Video footage circulating on social media showed him visibly weakened, walking hunched over with the aid of a cane. In a subsequent interview, Shamkhani recounted being buried under the rubble of his collapsed bedroom for three hours after the attack. He described suffering serious injuries and multiple fractures but remaining conscious and praying for survival.
Despite the shocking revelation, Shamkhani did not disclose why he was targeted, though he claimed to have played a role in making ‘Israel unhappy.’ His reappearance raises new questions about the accuracy of wartime intelligence and the resilience of key Iranian figures.