Israel killed Ali Mohammad Naini, a spokesman for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in airstrikes on Friday as the US-Israel conflict in Iran showed no signs of abating. Before his death, Naini praised Tehran’s missile program, saying it “deserves a perfect score”.
Naini “was martyred in a criminal cowardly dawn terror attack by the American-Zionist party,” according to a garda statement on their Sepah News website.
According to the Fars news agency, Guards spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini said: “Our missile industry deserves a perfect score… and there is no need to worry in this regard, because even under war conditions we continue to produce missiles.”
The remarks came hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Iran’s ability to enrich uranium and produce ballistic missiles had been effectively eliminated, according to AFP.
Who was Ali Mohammad Naini?
The 69-year-old, with the rank of Second Brigadier General, has served as the IRGC spokesman since 2024. He replaced Brigadier General Ramazan Sharif in the role, who was appointed by IRGC Commander-in-Chief Major General Hossein Salami.
General Naeini, a military veteran with 40 years of service, including participation in the Iran-Iraq War, has held several high-ranking posts such as the IRGC’s Cultural Deputy and Basij Cultural and Social Deputy. In 2024, he was among the most senior Iranian military officials to be sanctioned by the UK following Tehran’s attack on Israel.
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A series of US-Israeli airstrikes that began on February 28 killed several top Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Other high-profile figures affected include Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council; Iran’s Minister of Intelligence, Esmail Khatib; Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Khamenei involved in security and nuclear policy; Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the IRGC; and Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the IRGC’s Basij paramilitary force.
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Meanwhile, Iran on Friday threatened to target recreational and tourist sites around the world while reaffirming its continued missile production, the AP reported.
Iran’s top military spokesman, General Abolfazl Shekarchi, warned that “parks, recreational areas and tourist destinations” around the world would not be safe for Tehran’s opponents.
The statement came nearly three weeks after US-Israeli strikes that killed many of Tehran’s top officials and damaged its weapons and energy infrastructure.
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Iran launched attacks on Israel and energy facilities in neighboring Gulf Arab states during one of the holiest days in the Muslim calendar, coinciding with Nowruz, the Persian New Year, which was debased this year.
Given the limited information coming out of Iran, the extent of damage to its weapons, nuclear or energy facilities since the start of the conflict remains unclear, as does the current leadership structure. Nevertheless, Iran has demonstrated its ability to carry out strikes that disrupt oil supplies and affect the global economy, raising food and fuel prices beyond the region.
Following Israel’s bombing of Iran’s South Pars offshore gas field, Iran has stepped up its attacks on the Persian Gulf’s energy infrastructure. Early on Friday, two waves of drones targeted the Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery in Kuwait, causing a fire; the facility can process roughly 730,000 barrels per day and was also hit in a previous attack on Thursday.
In Bahrain, shrapnel from an intercepted projectile ignited a warehouse fire, while Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted several drones targeting its oil facilities in the Eastern Province.
(With input from agencies)
