• Source:JND
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In a dramatic escalation of hostilities, the Israeli army on Tuesday declared that Iran's senior military commander, Major General Ali Shadmani, was killed in a targeted missile attack deep within Tehran, Iran's capital city. Shadmani had just been promoted to Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, one of the strongest military organizations in Iran, after the reported martyrdom of Lt Gen Gholamali Rashid. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) called Shadmani the "wartime chief of staff" of Iran and the most senior Iranian military commander to be assassinated since the beginning of the Israel-Iran conflict, which has heightened after the war in Gaza and strikes in West Asia.

According to the IDF statement, Israeli fighter jets carried out a precise strike on a secure military installation in central Tehran, where Shadmani was reportedly meeting top commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Israeli intelligence officials claimed that Shadmani was coordinating military logistics and strategic operations involving Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Shi’ite militias in Iraq and Syria, part of Iran’s “axis of resistance” network. "For the second time in 5 days, the IDF has eliminated Iran’s wartime Chief of Staff, the regime’s top military commander. Ali Shadmani, Iran’s senior-most military official and Khamenei’s closest military advisor, was killed in an IAF strike in central Tehran, following precise intelligence." IDF posted this on X, formerly Twitter.

Iranian state media confirmed Shadmani’s “martyrdom”, while Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promoted him to the rank of Major General and praised his lifelong service to the Islamic Republic. Tehran has declared three days of national mourning. Shadmani’s death comes just days after the funeral of General Gholamali Rashid, another top IRGC commander, signaling a deepening crisis in Iran’s military leadership. In Operation Rising Lions, Israel has also eliminated Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander‑in‑Chief Hossein Salami, Iranian military chief Mohammad Bagheri, and nuclear scientists Fereydoun Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehni were killed as well.

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What Was Ali Shadmani?

Ali Shadmani was an Iran-Iraq war veteran, a long-time IRGC planner, and had held critical military planning roles in Iran's military. His recent elevation to the position of Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central HQ put him in command of Iran's combined wartime command activities, essentially making him Iran’s top military brain in case of a full-scale conflict. His unexpected elimination will probably strike a blow to Iran's battlefield coordination and further test its reaction abilities in the face of escalating regional tensions.

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The killing has prompted global concerns, with world leaders calling for restraint. Russia and China had "grave concern," while the US State Department renewed its appeal for "de-escalation and the safety of civilians throughout the region. This may be a turning point for the long-drawn Israel-Iran conflict, pulling West Asia into further chaos.