Who was Ali Mohammad Naini? Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Spokesperson killed in US strike

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Friday that US-Israeli strikes had killed their spokesman, Ali Mohammad Naini.

General Naeini "was martyred in the criminal cowardly terrorist attack by the American-Zionist side at dawn", the IRGC said in a statement on their Sepah News website.

Who was Ali Mohammad Naini

The 69-year-old held the rank of second brigadier general and was the spokesperson of the IRGC since 2024.

General Naeini replaced Brigadier General Ramazan Sharif as the IRGC spokesperson and was appointed to the post by Major General Hossein Salami, the Commander-in-Chief.

General Naeini was recognized as one of the IRGC's top specialists in psychological operations, soft power, and cognitive warfare.

40-year career in IRGC

A 40-year veteran who also fought in the Iran-Iraq war, General Naeini held numerous senior posts throughout his career, including serving as the IRGC’s cultural deputy and the Basij’s cultural and social deputy.

In 2024, General Naeini was among the senior Iranian military figures sanctioned by the UK after Tehran launched an attack on Israel.

Face of Iranian response

Throughout the ongoing Operation Epic Fury, General Naeini had remained one of the most prominent Iranian faces, making his country’s position clear to the world.

“We are prepared for all scenarios. The 12-day war proved that the military option against Iran is a failure and that our forces determine the outcome,” General Naeini said on February 28, the day the US and Israel launched the attack on Iran.

General Naeini was killed a day after he issued a public message on Iranian state television, challenging the US Navy's presence in the Persian Gulf.

He had also repeatedly maintained that Iran’s missile production remained unaffected by the conflict and even claimed Tehran had new weapons that were developed after the 12-day war and that “the enemy should expect painful blows in every wave of operations.”

Further details, including how the US killed General Naeini, are unclear at the moment.

Iran's top leadership killed by US

The killing of General Naeini is yet another blow to Iran as the war completes its third week.

Several top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have been killed in US-Israeli bombings that started on February 28.

Other senior figures include Ali Larijani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council; Iran’s intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib; Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Ali Khamenei who was also instrumental in Iran’s security and nuclear policymaking; Mohammad Pakpour, a commander of the IRGC, and Gholamreza Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC’s Basij paramilitary force.

Despite the setbacks, Iran’s political and military leadership has refused to surrender and vowed to continue the fight and inflict more damage on the US, Israel, and American allies in the Middle East.