IRGC spokesman Naini warned of a ‘missile surprise’. Hours later, he was killed in an Israeli strike

File Photo of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naini

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naini was killed in a US-Israeli strike. Iran claims its missile program remains strong, while Israel asserts Iran’s military capabilities are severely degraded, reflecting conflicting narratives amid ongoing conflict.

Did our AI summary help?

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naini was killed in what Tehran described as a US-Israeli strike, marking a significant blow to the country’s military leadership amid the ongoing conflict. The Guards said he was “martyred in the criminal, cowardly terrorist attack by the American-Zionist side at dawn”, adding that “his transformative ideas and effective models in ‘soft war' will continue guiding the revolution's guards against arrogant powers.”

Hours before his death, Naini had asserted that Iran’s missile programme remained robust despite weeks of coordinated strikes. Speaking to the Fars news agency, he said missile production was continuing without disruption even during wartime. “Our missile industry deserves a perfect score... and there is no concern in this regard, because even under wartime conditions we continue missile production,” he said. He added, “The missile industry has reached its highest levels. There are surprises coming for the enemy, and as the battles progress, they will become more complex and intense.”

His remarks came as Iran pushed back against claims by Israel that its military capabilities have been severely degraded. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tehran could no longer enrich uranium or manufacture ballistic missiles after nearly three weeks of strikes. “After 20 days, I can tell you Iran today has no ability to enrich uranium and no ability to produce ballistic missiles,” he said during his first in-person press conference since the launch of the US-Israel campaign on February 28.

Netanyahu said Israeli operations would continue until Iran’s capabilities were fully dismantled. “We are continuing to crush these capabilities. We will crush them to dust, to ashes,” he said, adding that Iran “is weaker than ever” while Israel has emerged as a dominant regional force.

The contrasting claims highlight the widening narrative gap between Tehran and Tel Aviv as the conflict intensifies, with both sides projecting sharply different assessments of the damage inflicted and the road ahead.