Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Defence Council and a close adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has reportedly been killed in Israeli and US strikes on Iran.

An Israeli military spokesperson said he was among several top Iranian officials killed on Saturday.

Tehran did not immediately comment on his fate.

The 70-year-old was overseeing negotiations between the US and Iran over Iran's nuclear programme, the latest round of which concluded on Friday.

Shamkhani had also been targeted in an Israeli strike in June 2025 during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel. Reports initially suggested he was killed, but he was later confirmed to have survived, pulled from the rubble of his home with severe injuries.

He was recently appointed secretary of Iran's Defence Council, established after the war to coordinate defence and national security policies and mobilize resources against threats.

Shamkhani led the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) for a decade until 2023, making him the second-longest-serving security chief since 1979 after former President Hassan Rouhani, who was SNSC secretary for nearly 16 years.

He served as defence minister from 1997 to 2005 and was the first Iranian defence official to visit Saudi Arabia since the revolution. He also placed third in the 2001 presidential elections before returning to his role as defence minister.

Source: www.aljazeera.com