Who was Ali Shadmani, Iran's 'War-Time Chief of Staff' claimed to have been killed by Israel

Ali Shadmani’ death, which is yet to be confirmed by Iran, will be another addition to several key Iranian military commanders killed by Israel since Friday.

Published on: Jun 17, 2025, 12:40:27 IST

By HT News Desk

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The Israel Defence Forces on Tuesday claimed to have killed a key Iranian commander named Ali Shadmani, whom it called Iran’s ‘War-Time Chief of Staff’. Iran has not yet confirmed Shadmani’s death.

According to the IDF, Ali Shadmani was the Iranian regime’s top military commander and called him Iran’s War-Time Chief of Staff. (X-@Philipp27960841)

This comes just days after Israel killed Iran’s Major General Gholam Ali Rashid during its surprise strikes on June 13 when it launched ‘Operation Rising Lion’. Ali Shadmani replaced Major General Gholam Ali Rashid as the new commander of Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters, reported Iran’s Tasnim news agency.

Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters is part of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, reported AP.

Track live updates of Iran-Israel conflict here.

Who is Ali Shadmani

According to the IDF, Ali Shadmani was the Iranian regime’s top military commander and called him Iran’s War-Time Chief of Staff. The IDF added that Shadmani was the closest figure to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Shadmani also served as the Commander of the Emergency Command of the Iranian Armed Forces and had both - the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian army - under his command, said the IDF.

Also read: Indian students evacuated from Tehran as fears of an all-out Iran-Israel war grow

“At the start of the operation, he was appointed to command the Iranian Armed Forces after his predecessor, Alaa Ali Rashid, was eliminated in the opening strike of Operation "Rising Lion”,” it added.

Iran’s emergency command center ‘Khatam al-Anbiya’, that was responsible for managing combat operations and approving Iran’s firepower plans, was under Shadmani’s command, said Israeli forces. He had a major influence on Iran’s operational plans to target Israel under the various roles he served, the forces added.

Also read: Is Netanyahu planning to assassinate Iran leader? Israeli PM drops shocking hint

Before being appointed to replace Ali Rashid, Shadmani served as “Deputy Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya emergency command center and as Head of the Operations Directorate in the General Staff forum of the Iranian Armed Forces,” the IDF statement read.

Ali Shadmani’ death, which is yet to be confirmed by Iran, will be another addition to several key military commanders who have been killed by Israel since last Friday when it launched its offensive against Iran.

IDF said that it received precise intelligence and a “sudden opportunity overnight” on Tuesday when their Air Force hit a staffed command center in the heart of Tehran and killed Ali Shadmani.

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HT News Desk
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