MIDDLE EAST (NPA) — March 20, 2026 — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has confirmed the deaths of two senior figures in overnight strikes carried out jointly by the United States and Israel, on March 20, 2026.
Brigadier General Ali Mohammad Naeini, the IRGC’s spokesperson, was among those killed. A veteran of the Iran–Iraq War and a key architect of the corps’ “soft war” strategies, Naeini had served as spokesman since 2024. The IRGC denounced the attack as a “cowardly terrorist act” by what it called the “American-Zionist alliance.”
Reports also point to the killing of General Ismail Ahmadi, intelligence chief of the Basij paramilitary force. The Basij plays a central role in domestic security and surveillance, and Ahmadi’s death is seen as a major setback for Iran’s internal enforcement network.
The twin losses highlight an intensifying campaign against Iran’s military and intelligence elite, raising fears of further instability and retaliation across the region. Analysts warn that the strikes not only weaken Iran’s propaganda and security apparatus but also risk escalating tensions in the already volatile Middle East.
