IRGC spokesman slain as IAF expands strikes on the Islamic Republic

The Israeli Air Force carried out a series of strikes targeting Iranian regime infrastructure across Tehran early Friday, targeting and killing Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesman Brig. Gen. Ali Mohammad Naini.

An Israeli security official confirmed his elimination, saying he was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike. According to Iranian media reports, Basij intelligence chief Gen. Esmail Ahmadi, the paramilitary force’s deputy commander, was also killed in the strike.

Just before his death, Naini issued a statement dismissing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s assertion on Thursday night that Iran could no longer enrich uranium or manufacture ballistic missiles following nearly three weeks of coordinated U.S.-Israeli operations.

“The people expect the war to continue until the enemy is completely exhausted,” Naini said, according to Iranian state media cited by international outlets. “This war must end when the shadow of war is lifted from the country.”

The IDF said Naini headed the IRGC’s public relations array and had served as a central propagandist for the regime in recent years.

“In his role as the IRGC’s main propagandist for the past 2 years, he disseminated the regime’s terrorist propaganda to its proxies across the Middle East in order to influence and advance terror attacks against Israel,” the IDF said, adding that his elimination was part of a broader campaign targeting senior Iranian figures.

On Tuesday, Israeli strikes killed several Iranian figures, including top security official Ali Larijani, Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani and his deputy Rassem Qoreishi.

The IDF said a second and third wave of strikes later on Friday targeted infrastructure sites in the Nur area east of Tehran, Isfahan and western Iran. On Thursday night, Israeli forces struck more than 130 regime targets across western and central Iran, including ballistic missile launchers, UAV systems and air defense networks.

“The Israeli Air Force continues to strike in western and central Iran to reduce to the fullest extent possible the scope of fire toward the State of Israel and to expand its aerial superiority over Iran,” the military said.

Meanwhile, Iran renewed missile fire toward Israel, launching multiple barrages across the country throughout the day. In two barrages on the central city of Rehovot, two people were lightly wounded and two homes sustained significant damage from falling interception debris and a fire.

Magen David Adom said a family inside a reinforced room in one of the homes was unharmed, though several people were lightly hurt while rushing to shelter. Despite the barrages across the country, no fatalities were reported in the latest attacks, but MDA said it treated several people for shock and light injuries.

According to Israel Fire and Rescue Services, fragments from an intercepted missile hit the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City. The IDF Home Front Command and Israel Police confirmed that debris damaged a parking lot near the Temple Mount area. No one was hurt.

The IDF said Friday that troops were continuing “targeted ground operations in Southern Lebanon against Hezbollah,” striking more than 2,000 terror targets, including command posts, weapons storage facilities and missile launchers. More than 570 Hezbollah terrorists have been eliminated since the campaign in Lebanon began, the army said.

“The IDF will continue to operate against Hezbollah after they chose to join the conflict in defense of the Iranian terror regime,” the military said in a statement.

The latest exchanges come as the war that started on Feb. 28 concluded 21 days, with Israel focusing on degrading Iran’s military capabilities and command structure, while Iran continues intermittent attacks on Israeli population centers.