After a lifetime of struggle and dedication to the nation, religion, and revolution, and after repeated attempts by the treacherous and bloodthirsty enemy to physically eliminate this courageous and capable figure, Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani was martyred alongside the Leader and other valiant national commanders. His wounded body was laid to rest on Saturday. Now, the soil of our homeland welcomes the remains of these national heroes, so that they may nurture the seedlings of resistance and pride for the future of Iran, and spread the fragrance of jihad and valor.
Virtue of Independence and National Thought
It is incumbent upon all writers and intellectuals of this land to analyze and report on the virtues and exceptional qualities of these brave and creative Iranian sons, so that the collective consciousness of our people may become more familiar with the greatness of these great people. Among these great figures, some were so humble that they made no effort to introduce themselves. Ali Shamkhani was one of the most prominent examples of these unassuming soldiers. He not only disregarded fame and recognition but also, in response to the enemy’s dense foreign propaganda, internal rivals, and detractors, never attempted to defend himself, nor did he allow any portion of his mental energy or the nation’s political landscape to be consumed by secondary and peripheral matters.
Distinctive characteristics existed within the personality of Shamkhani that revisiting and reconsidering could yield significant benefits for the nation’s management system. He was a survivor of the first generation of revolutionaries and a champion of jihad and martyrdom, who considered nothing superior to national and security interests, and measured everything by these two fundamental criteria. At the same time, he was deeply imbued with the virtue of “independence,” distancing himself from factionalism and political manipulation. Throughout his life, amidst the struggles of various political factions and currents, he steadfastly upheld the virtue of independence, refusing to compromise the ideals of a national and religious revolution with any particular faction or group. It was due to this national and non-partisan spirit that various governments of the revolution—from the right and left, and centrists, reformists, fundamentalists, moderates, and revolutionaries—sought him out and entrusted him with key managerial positions.
Shamkhani carried his commitment to national interests and his elevation above factional disputes and cliques to the point of expressing grievances over injustices done to his opponents. He will remain a lasting figure in Iranian political memory for denying the accusation of “treason” against someone like Bani Sadr, even while strongly opposing his thinking and management style. He explicitly stated that Bani Sadr was not a traitor, thus seeking to cleanse the Iranian political landscape of slander, insults, and accusations.
He, of course, repeatedly paid the price for his insistence on this non-partisan and individual independence. The cycle of destruction and slander repeatedly took its toll on him, with every lie, deception, exaggeration, and falsehood used to retaliate against his “no” to political maneuvering and his “yes” to sustainable national interests. Even as a young man, Ali Shamkhani was targeted by SAVAK, but the attempts to trap his character continued until recently, when he had become a seasoned and experienced figure.
The mill of destruction turned one day with the waters of political accusations, another with economic accusations, another with managerial accusations. What mattered to the orchestrators was the turning of the gears of slander, even if the flesh of his son, wife, daughter, and relatives was caught in the wheels. If the victim was unwilling to respond, the cycle would spin even more wildly. No one asked why, if those operating the mill believed their own words, they did not turn to the judiciary and present their evidence to the court. The judiciary, with regret, witnessed these destructions and slanders but did not demand proof from the accusers. Whenever confronted with this question about his response to the accusations, Shamkhani would simply repeat, “Unspoken matters shall remain for later.” However, on the day of Shamkhani’s burial, many voices were heard by those present, seeking forgiveness from him.
A Brilliant Record in War and Peace
For the foreign enemies of this land, and for certain currents within Iran, it is an unforgivable sin for anyone to ascend to a level of political and managerial standing where reformists invite them to the cabinet, fundamentalists lay out a red carpet for them in their media, and moderates reserve the highest security positions for them. Someone who was among the founders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a theorist of war, a designer of glorious and triumphant operations, a key founder of Iran’s missile, drone, and naval capabilities, a pioneer of indigenous aerospace and satellite technology, and an important architect of national security strategies—could he have achieved such positions except through independent thought and managerial competence?
It would not be unreasonable to claim that the person who had the deepest and most accurate understanding of Shamkhani and, knowing his strategic management capabilities and political and economic integrity, demonstrated absolute trust in him, was the late Leader of the Revolution. Indeed, he repeatedly placed Shamkhani in the highest, most sensitive, and strategic managerial positions and entrusted him with some of the nation’s most vital and critical files, both overt and covert. The important point was that the more intense the pressures, slanders, and accusations against Shamkhani, the more the late Leader’s support for him would increase in the form of entrusting him with more serious responsibilities, until the very end of his life, he held the prestigious title of “Leader’s Advisor” and representative of the Leader in Defense Council.
The Leader’s approach to supporting revolutionary forces, and especially Shamkhani, was the direct opposite of those who claimed friendship and camaraderie with Shamkhani but were unwilling to take a step or utter a word in response to the flood of news, rumors, and slander against him. In contrast to such unwarranted expediency from friends, the late Leader courageously and explicitly, and practically, repeatedly affirmed Shamkhani’s soundness, competence, and capability, and entrusted him with important national security projects.
It is noteworthy that no other senior officials in the country received a directive for responsibility from the late Leader of the Islamic Revolution to the extent that Shamkhani did.
The developments that occurred during the years of the war, its manner of ending, and within the Navy or the Ministry of Defense or the Supreme National Security Council, were the result of such characteristics and attributes. He carried the scars of the martyrdom of two brothers and the regret of separation from thousands of comrades and fellow travelers, without becoming accustomed to settling down in a headquarters or clinging to comfort. The war taught him that if some people resort to clamor and shut down diplomacy, he should move to the front lines silently and alone and open a crucial channel like Tehran-Riyadh. He should not worry about history recording which name would be recognized as the one who placed himself on this minefield in the path of diplomacy.
Establishing a Lasting and Effective Model
Now, a memory remains of Ali Shamkhani—a brilliant memory that can serve as a lasting and effective model and be useful in the path of Iran’s development. He was one of the most nationalistic forces who, before the revolution, during the revolution, and after its victory, in war and reconstruction, and during critical crises, insisted on principles and ideals, remained brave and independent, and strived for maximum inclusion and minimum exclusion, and refused to release any force from the train of the revolution, and did not compromise fairness even regarding the opponents of the revolution. Shamkhani placed “national and security interests” as the most crucial and central criterion in his political and managerial conduct, which is why he became a patriotic revolutionary—an independent figure with a strategic vision, a moderate approach, innovative and creative management, a national spirit, and ultimately, a tireless and dedicated zeal.
It is incumbent upon all his friends, acquaintances, and colleagues, and other Iran-loving people, to break their silence now, if they remained silent during his lifetime, and to articulate the intellectual and managerial approach of this figure and introduce it to the people. This beneficial and national ethos, which bore fruit in individuals like Shamkhani, must be transformed into a clear and reliable model. The national media must rectify its unwarranted omissions in this regard and, with a clear and well-defined plan, move forward in programming from these valuable national models. The absence of an important figure like Shamkhani from the national media is an example of professional negligence in the media battle. What is required in this battle is an elegant organization for representing and preserving prominent models.
When Ali Shamkhani ended his ten-year tenure in the highest national security body (SNSC), he concluded his short message by quoting a poem by Muhtasham Kashani, which contained a world of meaning despite its ambiguity. These days, and after his martyrdom, the effort to interpret that poem is a doubled necessity.
A whisper veiled, a murmur low and deep,
A secret shared, where hidden meanings sleep.
Then coded words, a gesture, swift and slight,
A final sign, and vanished in the night.
NOURNEWS