According to reports from Iranian state media, Ali Shamkhani, who previously served as the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), was killed on Friday in an airstrike conducted by Israel.

Shamkhani was one of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s top senior advisors and was reportedly taken out in his home in Tehran by an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) airstrike.

The death of Shamkhani marks another significant blow by the Israelis in dismantling Tehran’s military leadership.

In a rare interview, Shamkhani commented on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) following the Trump administration’s withdrawal.

Supreme Leader Khamenei (pictured) entrusted Shamkhani and appointed him as commander of the Artesh Navy in 1989. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)

When asked if he was one of the people in Iran who felt that signing the pact was a mistake, Shamkhani said, “Yes. … I’m just following the viewpoints of my nation, the people of Iran.”

Shamkhani’s influence reportedly increased following the death of Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

Following Iran’s retaliation for Soleimani’s death, the U.S. sanctioned Shamkhani.

“The United States is targeting senior Iranian officials for their involvement and complicity in [the] ballistic missile strikes,” said Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin at the time. 

Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.