The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Friday confirmed that General Ali Mohammad Naeini, its spokesman, is killed in an Israeli-American missile attack. The state-owned Tasnim news agency reported on Telegram and X that Naeini was killed early on Friday. Ali Mohammad Naeiniโs death comes just hours after local media quoted his remarks against the US and Israel. Moreover, Fars news agency reported Naeini as saying, โOur missile industry deserves a perfect scoreโฆ and there is no concern in this regard, because even under wartime conditions we continue missile production.”
His death marks the fourth major blow to Iranโs government and military leadership this week, after strikes killed three other senior officials โ Ali Larijani, Gholamreza Soleimani and Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib.
Who was Ali Mohammad Naeini?
Born in 1957 in Kashan, Iran, Ali Mohammad Naeini was a Second Brigadier General in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and served as the corpsโ official spokesperson and deputy for public relations since his 2024 appointment by IRGC Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami, according to several media reports.
He was recognised as one of the IRGCโs top specialists in psychological operations, soft power, and cognitive warfare. Before being appointed as the spokesperson, he held influential positions, including cultural deputy in both the IRGC and the Basij, according to reports.
Iranian top brass have been eliminated in US-Israeli strikesย
Ali Mohammad Naeiniโs death comes after several leaders of the Iranian top brass have been eliminated in US-Israeli strikes since the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28. On Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces announced that they killed Esmaeil Khatib, the Iranian Minister of Intelligence.
The IDF said that Khatib operated against Iranian citizens during the Mahsa Amini protests (2022-2023).
In a post on X, the IDF said on Wednesday, “ELIMINATED: Esmaeil Khatib, the Iranian terrorist regime Minister of Intelligence, in a targeted strike in Tehran. Khatib played a significant role during the recent protests throughout Iran, including the arrest & killing of protestors and led terrorist activities against Israelis & Americans around the world.
The death of the 67-year-old Larijani, a close associate of the late Ali Khamenei and his successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, occurred following an attack on Monday night. This represents the loss of the most senior figure in Tehran’s leadership since the conflict began 19 days ago.
Israen-Israel war enters 21st day
It should be noted that the war entered its 21st day on Friday, with military operations continuing to intensify amid broader hostilities. In the meantime, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has vowed more โsurprises” following an earlier airstrike that killed Iranโs Intelligence Minister, Esmaeil Khatib, as part of Israelโs campaign to target Tehranโs top leadership.
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