Iranian Leader’s Aide: ‘I Know Why They Targeted Me—And They Do Too’

By Kamaran Aziz

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) — Ali Shamkhani, senior political advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and member of Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council, has given an emotional and detailed account of surviving an Israeli airstrike during the recent 12-day war, describing his ordeal in a televised interview aired by Iran’s national broadcaster and reported by IRIB News Agency.

Speaking while breathing through a spirometer due to injuries sustained in the blast, Shamkhani said, “My ribs were shattered, and I suffered internal injuries.”

Recalling the early hours of the attack, Shamkhani recounted:

“I was lying in bed. My phone was on the floor, a bit away from me. My family was asleep in the next room. I was dozing off, about to wake up for morning prayer, when suddenly the entire room collapsed on top of me. I was buried under the rubble for three hours. Everything happened there. I even performed my prayer under the debris.”

He confirmed he remained conscious the entire time: “Yes, I was conscious the moment the house was struck. At first, I thought it was an earthquake.”

As the collapse unfolded, he realized the magnitude of the situation:

“I began digging in the space near my feet—as much as I could move. While I prayed, I heard vehicle noises. That’s when I realized it wasn’t an earthquake. If it had been, there wouldn’t have been any cars moving around Tehran. So I told myself: the Israelis have struck.”

Struggling to breathe, Shamkhani described his effort to survive: “My breathing was intermittent. I began shouting my son Hassan’s name. His room had completely collapsed, but luckily, he had left the house just ten minutes earlier. Then I started calling out for my wife, Azar.”

A single rescuer eventually located him. “He was alone, as no one believed I could have survived that deep beneath the debris. My room had collapsed two or three stories downward. He began clearing the rubble from my legs. I remained conscious most of the time. I didn’t feel fear—not even for a moment. The only fear was the fear of death.”

Reflecting on close calls in his life, Shamkhani stated: “I’ve almost died three times—once before the Revolution, once during the Iran-Iraq War, and now this time. The fourth time will be natural—due to old age.”

Addressing rumors about his injuries, he clarified: “All false. No amputation. But even if there were—so what? What do I need feet for?” he added with a laugh.

Asked why he was targeted, Shamkhani responded, “They [Israel] knew exactly why they targeted me—and I know why they did, too.” When pressed further, he said, “I can’t say. But I beat the hell out of their masters!”

He acknowledged the risks he faced: “All my colleagues who were martyred—we were close friends. We worked together, we planned things, and we predicted they would strike. Everything that happened afterward followed the plans and leadership strategies we had put in place under the Supreme Leader’s guidance.”

He described the recent round of diplomatic engagement as “a deception”: “This so-called negotiation process wasn’t aimed at reaching an agreement—it was meant to assess the internal situation of the country and incite public unrest. But, fortunately, our people were too aware for that.”

Shamkhani emphasized the Iranian public’s unity:

“This unity isn’t driven by emotion—it’s driven by recognition. Recognition of the enemy, of Iran’s importance, and of the depth of American and Israeli hostility.”

On Iran’s military response, Shamkhani claimed:

“I was watching the outrage in foreign media. That alone showed me how hard we had hit back. All our commanders—our minds and muscle—had been targeted, yet within 12 hours, they were replaced, and the operation began. It wasn’t improvised. It was pre-planned.”

He brushed aside concerns about public appearances:

“There’s no house or office left! No place to hide. And when you insisted on the interview, I thought: why not? On my way back from the demonstration, I said we could meet at a café and do it there.”

In his concluding remarks, Shamkhani issued a rallying message:

“Long live the Iranian people! They [Israel] thought a strike like this would trigger unrest. They targeted the brains and backbone of our military and scientific institutions—and even civilians. But the people of Iran—not just in Tehran, but across all provinces—stood firm.”

He called for internal cohesion: “We must never allow disunity to grow, whether through missteps or misunderstanding. We must resolve even the smallest of differences through mutual understanding.”