Sunday, June 5, 2022

2nd top IRGC officer dies within days; report claims he was killed as suspected spy

Iran reported the death of another colonel of the elite Quds Force of its Revolutionary Guards on Friday, the second in two weeks from the unit which oversees Iran’s military operations abroad.

Quoting an unknown official, the early morning report by the official IRNA news agency said Col. Ali Esmailzadeh died during an “incident in his residence” days ago in city of Karaj, some 35 kilometers (19 miles) northwest of the capital Tehran.

It did not elaborate but denied reports that the colonel was assassinated.

The Iran International opposition website, quoting unnamed sources, alleged that the Revolutionary Guards had killed Esmailzadeh for suspected espionage,

Other news channels close to the Guard said Esmailzadeh fell from his rooftop or balcony. READ MORE