March 20, 2026 — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its spokesman, Ali Mohammad Naini, has been killed in strikes attributed by Tehran to the United States and Israel.
The Guards said on their Sepah News site that Naini “was martyred in the criminal cowardly terrorist attack by the American‑Zionist side at dawn.” Iranian state media reported he had served as the IRGC’s spokesperson since 2024. There was no immediate confirmation of his death from Israel or the United States.
The announcement came amid a widening exchange of strikes across the region. Israel said it had launched strikes against unspecified “infrastructure” across Tehran, while Iran continued to fire missiles and drones at targets in the Gulf and at Israel. Iran has also targeted energy infrastructure in Gulf states after an earlier Israeli attack on the South Pars gas field.
Regional fallout included a fire at Kuwait’s Mina Al‑Ahmadi oil refinery after two waves of Iranian drone strikes; crews were reported to be working to control the blaze. The refinery can process roughly 730,000 barrels per day. The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait both reported air defenses in action after missile attacks, and Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a drone in the east of the country while Bahrain activated air‑raid sirens.
Tensions over energy infrastructure intensified after Israeli strikes on Iran’s South Pars gas field, the world’s largest. US President Donald Trump reportedly urged Israel to refrain from further attacks on South Pars; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later pledged to refrain from further strikes on the field at Trump’s request. The strikes on South Pars had prompted Iranian retaliation against liquefied natural gas facilities in Qatar.
The conflict’s wider political and security repercussions were also on display. UAE authorities said they had arrested five people accused of involvement in an Iran‑linked network allegedly funded and operated by Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iran, accused of attempting to infiltrate the national economy and finance terrorism. Lebanon’s president called for a full truce between Hezbollah and Israel, urging disarmament of the Iran‑backed group and direct negotiations; more than 1,000 people have been killed in Lebanon and the border fighting since March 2.
Russia summoned Israel’s ambassador over an attack in southern Lebanon that injured journalists working for the Russian state broadcaster RT, seeking an investigation and assurances 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 public anxieties rise. The fast‑moving conflict continues to produce diplomatic strains and mounting human and economic costs across the region.