Iranian military spokesman Naini rebuffs Netanyahu’s claims and then killed in airstrike

An Iranian military spokesman was reportedly killed in airstrikes just hours after he publicly challenged claims made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Ali Mohammad Naini, an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps spokesman and deputy of public relations, was killed in overnight strikes conducted by U.S. and Israeli forces, Iranian state media revealed on Friday. The Tasnim news agency claimed that Naini “was martyred.” He had been the spokesman since 2024, according to the Times of Israel. Hours before his death, Naini publicly challenged claims made by Netanyahu, rebuffing the Israeli prime minister’s assertion that Iran was no longer capable of making ballistic missiles due to U.S. and Israeli airstrikes.