March 20, 2026 — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its spokesman, Ali Mohammad Naini, was killed in strikes Tehran attributed to the United States and Israel. The IRGC’s Sepah News site said Naini “was martyred in the criminal cowardly terrorist attack by the American‑Zionist side at dawn.” State media reported he had held the IRGC spokesman role since 2024. There was no immediate confirmation of his death from Israel or the United States.
The announcement came as an exchange of strikes broadened across the region. Israel said it conducted strikes on unspecified infrastructure in Tehran, while Iran continued to fire missiles and drones at targets in the Gulf and at Israel. Tehran has also targeted energy installations in Gulf states following an earlier Israeli attack on the South Pars gas field, the world’s largest.
Regional incidents included a fire at Kuwait’s Mina Al‑Ahmadi oil refinery after two waves of Iranian drone strikes; crews worked to control the blaze at a facility that can process roughly 730,000 barrels per day. The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait reported air defenses engaging incoming threats after missile attacks, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a drone over its eastern region, and Bahrain activated air‑raid sirens.
Tensions further intensified after the Israeli strikes on South Pars. U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly urged Israel to refrain from additional attacks on the field; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said he would refrain at Trump’s request. Iran’s strikes on South Pars had already triggered retaliatory attacks on liquefied natural gas facilities in Qatar.
The conflict’s political and security fallout extended beyond direct strikes. UAE authorities announced the arrest of five people accused of links to an Iran‑linked network they say was funded and operated by Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iran and sought to infiltrate the national economy and finance terrorism. Lebanon’s president called for a full truce between Hezbollah and Israel, urged disarmament of the Iran‑backed group and recommended direct negotiations; more than 1,000 people have been reported killed in Lebanon and border fighting since March 2.
Russia summoned Israel’s ambassador after an attack in southern Lebanon injured journalists working for the Russian state broadcaster RT, requesting an investigation and assurances that such incidents would not recur.
The escalation has cast a shadow over Nowruz, the Persian New Year, with celebrations muted as cities enforce blackouts and tensions rise. The fast‑moving conflict continues to strain diplomacy and impose growing human and economic costs across the region.