Iranian commander changed location every few hours, wore plain clothes yet Israel found him

Iranian top commander and chief of the IRGC emergency military command (Khatam al-Anbiya) chief Ali Shadmani, stayed in his post only for four days before an Israeli airstrike targeted him. Israel's calculated attack baffled Iran, it decided not to publish the name of the new emergency military command, only for Israel's spy agency, Mossad, to announce it within hours. 

 

Now, Shadmani's daughter, Mahdieh Shadmani, has come forward to narrate how her father was killed despite him following every security protocol, including ditching all communication methods. Mahdieh's post on Instagram came amid allegations that Israel used WhatsApp to track down its targets in Iran.

 

"My father’s location changed every few hours. He carried no smart devices or phones. Security protocols were followed, yet during his time commanding the war headquarters, he was repeatedly targeted for assassination by Israel," Mahdieh wrote. 

 

She added that Shadmani was not in uniform when he was killed. "At the time of his assassination, he was wearing plain dusty clothes without military insignia," Mahdieh. Her statement dispels the allegations that the chat software was used by Israel to track down its enemies, at least in Shadmani's case.

 

Shadmani was appointed the chief of Khatam al-Anbiya after Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid was eliminated in the opening strike of "Operation Rising Lion" on June 13. He was the brain behind Iran's purchase of advanced Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets from Russia as part of its plan to modernise its ageing air force.

 

Following rumours that WhatsApp was used to track down Iranian targets, the Islamic Republic had urged Iranians to delete the app. WhatsApp denied the accusation, and alleged that such rumours and statements could be limited to information inside Iran.

Middle East