Death of senior official of Iran's Revolutionary Guards under mysterious circumstances

Tehran: Ten days after the assassination of Colonel Khodayari, a senior official of Iran’s Quds force, another senior official has been found dead under mysterious circumstances. Iran’s media has been claiming that Colonel Ali Ismail Zadeh died after falling from the balcony of his house. Colonel Ali Ismail Zadeh was accused of spying for the enemy. The British-Iranian news agency claims through their sources in Europe that the death of Colonel Ismail Zadeh is related to the murder of Colonel Khodayari.

On May 30, Colonel Ali Ismail Zadeh was found dead in an accident in the Iranian city of Karaj, which is about 35 kilometres from the capital city of Tehran. Iranian Revolutionary Guards officials informed the local news channel that Colonel Ismail Zadeh died after falling from the balcony of his house. Senior officials of the Revolutionary Guards have concluded that Colonel Ismail Zadeh committed suicide out of frustration of being separated from his wife.

However, the British-Iranian news agency has added a new claim to the story. Citing sources from Europe, they claim that Colonel Ismail Zadeh was working for Unit 840 in the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. This unit is known for being the most secretive unit in the Quds Forces. Photographs of any of the officers in the squad are also not released. Colonel Khodayari, a senior member of the same squad and a colleague of Colonel Ismail Zadeh, was shot dead ten days ago in Tehran.

Colonel Khodayari was a confidant of Major General Qasem Soleimani, the former head of Iran‘s Quds Force. Colonel Khodayari was given the task of killing Israelis around the world. In the last few years, the Quds Force, led by Colonel Khodayari, had carried out similar attacks in India, Taiwan, Cyprus and Georgia. Hence his assassination was a major blow to Iran’s Quds Force.

Iranian media accused the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad of killing Colonel Khodayari. It was also alleged that Mossad agents in Iran helped in this operation. While the investigation was going on, the accidental death of Colonel Ismail Zadeh of Unit 840 has raised suspicion and a possible linkage to the murder of Colonel Khodayari, as claimed by the British-Iranian News Agency. Therefore, the death of Ismail Zadeh should be viewed as an accident, as suggested by the news agency.