Amid the ongoing US‑Iran war, Iran held a funeral for senior security official Ali Shamkhani, who was killed in joint Israeli‑US airstrikes in Tehran. Shamkhani, a former secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and key adviser to the late Supreme Leader, was buried in a ceremony attended by thousands in northern Tehran. 


US‑Iran War: Iran Holds Funeral for Ali Shamkhani After Killing in Strikes 

<p>A video showing the daughter of Ali Shamkhani, a high-ranking aide to Iran's Supreme Leader, wearing a strapless wedding dress at a luxurious Tehran hotel has ignited significant controversy. The footage, which surfaced on social media platform X on October 17, depicts Shamkhani escorting his daughter, Fatemeh, into the upscale Espinas Palace Hotel, where guests cheer as she walks in wearing a designer gown with a low neckline. The extravagant wedding, seen as a stark contrast to the regime’s stringent dress codes for women, has sparked a backlash. Critics argue that it exposes the hypocrisy of Iran’s leadership, which imposes severe hijab laws on the public while allowing the elite to bypass them. Shamkhani, who has previously overseen brutal crackdowns on anti-hijab protests, is being accused of double standards.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-calls-war-a-strange-thing-says-ukraine-could-still-win-but-adds-i-don-t-think-they-will-1761011313214"><strong>Trump calls war ‘a strange thing’ says Ukraine 'could still win,' but adds ‘I don’t think they will’</strong></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Masih Alinejad, an exiled activist, condemned the event on X, emphasising the irony that while women in Iran face violence for showing their hair, the daughter of a key government official celebrates in a strapless gown. She accused the regime of preaching modesty while their own families are exempt from such rules. Swedish-Iranian politician Alireza Akhondi also criticised the wedding, calling it a clear demonstration of corruption and privilege. He noted that Fatemeh Shamkhani’s freedom to wear whatever she wanted is a direct result of her father’s powerful position, which he argued had little to do with religion.</p><h2>Watch the viral video here</h2>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The daughter of Ali Shamkhani one of the Islamic Republic’s top enforcers had a lavish wedding in a strapless dress. Meanwhile, women in Iran are beaten for showing their hair and young people can’t afford to marry. This video made millions of Iranian furious. Because they… <a href="https://t.co/MAb9hNgBnN">https://t.co/MAb9hNgBnN</a> <a href="https://t.co/WoRgbpXQFA">pic.twitter.com/WoRgbpXQFA</a></p>&mdash; Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlinejadMasih/status/1979867926162280534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<p>The incident has sparked debate just as Iran plans to expand its morality police force with 80,000 new officers tasked with enforcing strict hijab laws in Tehran. The wedding, which reportedly took place in April 2024, is further fueling anger among those who believe the regime’s leaders are hypocritical in their treatment of women. Ali Shamkhani, 70, has long been a loyal ally of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. He previously served as defense minister and headed the Supreme National Security Council until 2023. Under his leadership, the regime implemented a brutal crackdown on protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022, who died in police custody after allegedly violating hijab regulations. The government’s violent response led to the deaths of over 500 people and the arrest of thousands more, particularly targeting women and girls.</p>

WATCH | Iran's supreme leader's aide faces backlash after daughter’s lavish, hijab-free wedding

A video showing the daughter of Ali Shamkhani, a high-ranking aide to Iran's Supreme Leader, wearing a strapless wedding dress at a luxurious Tehran hotel has ignited significant controversy. The footage, which surfaced on social media platform X on October 17, depicts Shamkhani escorting his daughter, Fatemeh, into the upscale Espinas Palace Hotel, where guests cheer as she walks in wearing a designer gown with a low neckline. The extravagant wedding, seen as a stark contrast to the regime’s stringent dress codes for women, has sparked a backlash. Critics argue that it exposes the hypocrisy of Iran’s leadership, which imposes severe hijab laws on the public while allowing the elite to bypass them. Shamkhani, who has previously overseen brutal crackdowns on anti-hijab protests, is being accused of double standards. Also Read: Trump calls war ‘a strange thing’ says Ukraine 'could still win,' but adds ‘I don’t think they will’ Masih Alinejad, an exiled activist, condemned the event on X, emphasising the irony that while women in Iran face violence for showing their hair, the daughter of a key government official celebrates in a strapless gown. She accused the regime of preaching modesty while their own families are exempt from such rules. Swedish-Iranian politician Alireza Akhondi also criticised the wedding, calling it a clear demonstration of corruption and privilege. He noted that Fatemeh Shamkhani’s freedom to wear whatever she wanted is a direct result of her father’s powerful position, which he argued had little to do with religion. Watch the viral video here

<p>A video of Ali Shamkhani’s daughter wearing a strapless wedding gown sparks outrage, highlighting the hypocrisy of Iran’s strict hijab laws amid elite privilege</p>

<p>Ali Shamkhani, senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has spoken publicly for the first time since surviving an Israeli airstrike on his Tehran residence during the June 13 offensive. In a televised interview aired by Iranian state TV on Saturday, Shamkhani described being buried under the debris for over three hours, believing at first that the explosion was an earthquake. “My family was sleeping in the next room. I was asleep because it was prayer time and I was waking up when my entire room collapsed and a lot of debris fell on me,” he said. “I was under the rubble for 3 hours. I did my morning prayer under the rubble.”</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Shamkhani, who now uses a steam-assisted breathing device for lung recovery, suffered internal injuries and broken ribs. “At first, I thought an earthquake had occurred, and I remained under the rubble for three hours until I heard the sound of a car. At that point, I realised that Israel had targeted me because, in an earthquake, cars cannot move through the streets of Tehran,” he told in the interview. Reports of his death had earlier circulated widely, including confirmations by both Israeli and Iranian sources. However, Iranian state media later carried a letter from Shamkhani addressed to Khamenei, affirming that he had survived.</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei’s advisor also BACK from the ‘DEAD’<br><br>Israel claimed it killed Ali Shamkhani in June 13 strike<br><br>He says he was buried ‘under rubble for 3 HOURS’ — IRIB <a href="https://t.co/vXGnPEsQGT">https://t.co/vXGnPEsQGT</a> <a href="https://t.co/FdXCVnVeKi">pic.twitter.com/FdXCVnVeKi</a></p>&mdash; RT (@RT_com) <a href="https://twitter.com/RT_com/status/1939033317590102150?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2><strong>Advisor suggests he was specifically targeted</strong></h2><p><br>In the same interview, Shamkhani stated: “The Zionists know why they targeted me, and so do I. I can’t reveal the reason, but I made their lives miserable.” He dismissed rumours of a leg amputation, saying, “They were falsely claiming they amputated my leg. Let them take it away. What do I need a leg for?” Shamkhani, a former navy commander and head of the Supreme National Security Council, appeared later that day at the funeral for Iranian officials and scientists killed in the Israeli strikes — an event Supreme Leader Khamenei notably did not attend.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>A resident living opposite Shamkhani’s residence told Middle East Eye that the blast was so powerful she and her husband were thrown from their bed. “It was a miracle we survived,” she said.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Ali Shamkhani also took part in Saturday’s state funeral held for military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians killed in Israeli strikes earlier this month. He was seen standing alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian and Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the Supreme Leader. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remained conspicuously absent, reportedly due to ongoing security concerns. State media reported that the funeral honoured 60 individuals in total, including 16 scientists, 10 senior commanders, as well as four women and four children.<br>&nbsp;</p>

"I was waking up when my entire room collapsed and a lot of debris fell on me,” he said. “I was under the rubble for 3 hours. I did my morning prayer under the rubble.”

Ali Shamkhani, senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has spoken publicly for the first time since surviving an Israeli airstrike on his Tehran residence during the June 13 offensive. In a televised interview aired by Iranian state TV on Saturday, Shamkhani described being buried under the debris for over three hours, believing at first that the explosion was an earthquake. “My family was sleeping in the next room. I was asleep because it was prayer time and I was waking up when my entire room collapsed and a lot of debris fell on me,” he said. “I was under the rubble for 3 hours. I did my morning prayer under the rubble.” Shamkhani, who now uses a steam-assisted breathing device for lung recovery, suffered internal injuries and broken ribs. “At first, I thought an earthquake had occurred, and I remained under the rubble for three hours until I heard the sound of a car. At that point, I realised that Israel had targeted me because, in an earthquake, cars cannot move through the streets of Tehran,” he told in the interview. Reports of his death had earlier circulated widely, including confirmations by both Israeli and Iranian sources. However, Iranian state media later carried a letter from Shamkhani addressed to Khamenei, affirming that he had survived.

<p>"I was waking up when my entire room collapsed and a lot of debris fell on me,” he said. “I was under the rubble for 3 hours. I did my morning prayer under the rubble.”</p>

'Under rubble for 3 hours': Khamenei's top advisor, once presumed dead, recounts surviving Israeli airstrike

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US‑Iran War: Iran Holds Funeral for Ali Shamkhani After Killing in Strikes

Iran leader's aide faces backlash over daughter's hijab-free, lavish wedding

'Under rubble for 3 hrs': Khamenei's top advisor recounts surviving airstrike