Shadmani was appointed to command the Iranian armed forces on Friday after his predecessor, Gholamali Rashid, was eliminated in the opening attack of the operation against Iran that Israel has dubbed “Rising Lion”. Commander of the military headquarters in Khatam al-Anbiya, Shadmani commanded both the Pasdaran, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the army in Tehran. Before taking up his new post, Shadmani had been deputy commander of the emergency headquarters in Khatam al-Anbiya and head of the operations division of the Armed Forces General Staff.

“For the second time, the IDF has eliminated Iran’s wartime Chief of Staff, the regime’s top military commander,” the Israeli military said, stressing that the strike was possible thanks to “ precise information received from the Directorate of Intelligence ” and “a sudden opportunity ” in the night that allowed the Air Force to carry out the attack. “The Khatam al-Anbiya emergency command center, under his command, was responsible for managing combat operations and approving Iran’s fire plans. In his various roles, he directly influenced Iran’s operational plans targeting the State of Israel,” the IDF added.

This is the latest “excellent” victim of Israel in Iran, among high-ranking military commanders and scientists involved in the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. And Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar is warning Ali Shadmani's successor. Israel “ does not yet know who will be” to take his place, Sa'ar stressed, adding: “I advise anyone who is offered this position to think carefully. If he accepts, I recommend maximum caution.”