Ali Mohammad Naini, spokesperson for Iran’s paramilitary unit, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was confirmed killed in airstrikes on early Friday.
The killing came mere minutes after Naini was quoted outlining continued missile production and warning of “surprises”, along with other more complex operations.
Additionally, Esmail Ahmadi, a senior intelligence official in Iran’s Basij militia – a wing of the IRGC – and deputy to its commander, has also been confirmed dead, further causing a leadership void in the powerful paramilitary as Israel and the US continue their elimination of powerful figures across the Islamic Republic’s political and military command, in a bid to destabilise and topple the regime.
The Guards-linked Tasnim News Agency described Ahmadi as “one of the most important pillars of the Basij organisation”, highlighting his role in internal security operations.
For fulfilling its duel tasks for Iran’s military degradation and overthrow of command structure, recent weeks have seen multiple senior Iranian officials being killed, further compounding pressure on Tehran as the war in West Asia is increasingly going out of hand, reports Times of Israel.
Amid the leadership upheaval, a message attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei called for stripping security from domestic and foreign adversaries following the reported killing of intelligence minister Esmail Khatib. The message, circulated on Telegram, urged officials to intensify efforts and fill the gap left by Khatib.
Continuous uncertainty mounts Iran’s socio-political landscape as Mojtaba Khamenei’s status remains unverified.
The recent dictate from the Iranian supreme leader was published as no verified images or videos of him have been released ever since he took over the reins of leadership following the killing of his father Ali Khamenei on February 28.
Already a very vague and obscure presence in Iranian politics, Mojtaba’s near total absence in recent photos and videos continue fuel speculation that he may have been killed or is otherwise seriously wounded, as reported in earlier strikes.
Statements issued in his name by Iranian state media have pledged retaliation, including a vow to “avenge the blood” of those killed. US President Donald Trump said earlier this week it remained unclear whether Iran’s new leader was alive, while Iranian outlets have reported he was wounded in the same strike that killed several members of his family.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that operations targeting Iran’s leadership would continue, and said “It does not matter who replaces them — we are making sure that the shifts in the Revolutionary Guards will be very short.”
