Ali Shamkhani, Iran’s former secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and for years a central figure in the Islamic Republic’s security establishment, was killed Feb. 28, 2026 in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes. He was 70.
Shamkhani served as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council from September 2013 to May 2023, a period when the body sat at the center of Iran’s national-security decision-making. In the role, he was closely associated with oversight of major state security files, including Iran’s regional posture and the nuclear issue.
His most prominent international appearance came in March 2023, when he led Iran’s delegation to Beijing for talks with Saudi officials. The meetings produced a China-brokered agreement to restore diplomatic relations after years of rupture, including plans to reopen embassies by May 2023. The accord was widely taken as a notable step toward easing tensions between Tehran and Riyadh.
On May 22, 2023, Shamkhani was replaced as secretary of the council by Rear Adm. Ali Akbar Ahmadian, ending nearly a decade in the post. Before leading the council, he served as Iran’s defense minister under President Mohammad Khatami from 1997 to 2005.
Often described as a pragmatic voice within Iran’s security decision-making structure, Shamkhani’s public legacy was closely tied to both national security stewardship and the regional diplomacy that produced the Beijing framework for restoring Iran–Saudi ties.