IRGC spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini. (DEFA) IRGC Spokesman Assassinated After He Denied Netanyahu’s Claim of Iran’s Diminished Missile-Production Capacity The Media Line Staff 03/20/2026 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesman Ali Mohammad Naini was killed, Iranian state media reported Friday morning, as Israel confirmed the assassination and identified him as a senior figure responsible for messaging and propaganda.
Tasnim described Naini as having been “martyred.” The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the report and said in a statement, “Naini held several roles … and in the past two years served as the chief propaganda distributor for the IRGC.”
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Hours earlier, he had disputed Israeli claims about the extent of damage to Iran’s military capabilities. Responding to remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that Iran has “no ability” to produce ballistic missiles, Naini said missile stockpiles remained sufficient and that production continued despite the ongoing war.
Naini, the IRGC’s deputy for public relations, was killed days after Israeli operations targeted two other senior figures: Ali Larijani, viewed as a central power broker in the regime, and Gholamreza Soleimani, who played a leading role in enforcing crackdowns on protesters.
Separately, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Friday that six additional countries have designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization. The countries named were Iceland, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Liechtenstein.
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