A high-ranked Iranian military and political figure, declared dead by Israel last week, declared himself alive in a message published by Iranian state media on Friday (20).
“I’m alive and ready to sacrifice me,” said Shamkhani there in a message addressed to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “The victory is near. Iran’s name will shine at the height of history, as always,” said his message, published by several Iranian state communication vehicles.
Shamkhani, Khamenei’s main advisor, was reported as dead by Israel and Iranian media after Israeli attacks on Iran on June 13.
On Friday, several Iranian media outlets, including Irna, Tasnim and Fars, said Shamkhani was not dead, but rather that he had been “seriously injured and hospitalized” and was now “in a stable condition.” No new photo of Shamkhani has been posted along with his supposed message.
Shamkhani previously served as Iran’s leading national security authority and held high positions in Islamic Revolutionary Guard and the Ministry of Defense.
Well known in the foreign policy circles in Washington and Europe, he had recently been acting as one of Iran’s leading counselors in recent nuclear negotiations with the United States – who were paralyzed after Israel’s attacks.
