Assassination of Sunni Cleric in Zahedan; Escalating Violence in Southeast Iran

“Maulvi Yousuf Gorgich,” the imam of the Sunni community in Zahedan and a cleric close to the Islamic Republic, was shot and killed in front of his home by unidentified armed individuals. This incident occurred two days after a deadly clash between security forces and armed men in Saravan; a confrontation in which the Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) reported the deaths of three of its personnel. Simultaneously, several armed incidents have been reported in Sistan and Baluchestan province.

A video recently published by Tousi TV, referencing a series of armed incidents in Sistan and Baluchestan province, claims that “the Islamic Republic is losing control of southeastern Iran.” In this video, the killing of a Sunni cleric in Zahedan and, days before that, a deadly clash between IRGC forces and armed individuals in Saravan are presented as evidence of escalating attacks against government-affiliated forces. However, the claim presented in the Tousi TV video that the Islamic Republic is “losing control of southeastern Iran” has not been independently verified to date.

A review of official reports, Iranian media outlets, local sources, and independent analytical reports shows that the two main incidents referenced in the video did indeed occur, but the video’s analytical section regarding the Islamic Republic’s loss of control cannot be published as an established fact.

Maulvi Yousuf Gorgich, imam of the “Muhammad Rasulullah” mosque in Zahedan, was shot on Monday, September 14, 2026, corresponding to September 23, 1405 in the Persian calendar, in front of his home by unidentified armed individuals and died from the severity of his injuries.

Zahedan police announced that an investigation has been launched to identify the perpetrator or perpetrators of this attack. No group has formally claimed responsibility for this killing to date.

Iran’s official media outlets have described Gorgich as a Sunni cleric close to the government. The Tasnim News Agency wrote that he had actively participated in government ceremonies and programs commemorating the Islamic Republic’s martyrs, and had given speeches at gatherings related to the recent war.

Baluch and opposition sources have also described him as a figure close to security and government structures. This aspect of his background is particularly noteworthy given the official presence of Islamic Republic authorities at ceremonies following his death; the commander of the Quds Headquarters of the IRGC and the governor of Sistan and Baluchestan, in their statements, referred to him as the imam of the Sunni community and an active figure in a government-supported path.

However, the identity of the attackers and their motives remain unclear. Some local media outlets have attributed this attack to armed Baluch groups, but at the time of this report’s preparation, no formal claim of responsibility has been issued by any group.

Just two days before Gorgich’s killing, on September 12, a severe clash occurred between the Islamic Republic’s security forces and armed individuals in the Bakhshan area of Saravan county.

The Quds Headquarters of the IRGC’s Ground Forces announced that during this operation, three security personnel and four armed individuals were killed. Tasnim also published the same figures and stated that this operation was conducted jointly with the presence of the IRGC, the Ministry of Intelligence, and the law enforcement forces.

However, reports from local sources and the human rights group “Halash” reported a longer clash and more casualties. Iran International also reported, citing Halash, that this clash lasted for hours and several military vehicles came under fire; however, the higher casualty figures have not been independently confirmed.

Therefore, the death of at least three security personnel in Saravan is a reported and confirmed fact by the IRGC itself, but there are significant disagreements among sources regarding the exact number of casualties and the extent of damage.

In the days following these two incidents, other armed incidents were also reported. On September 18, an armed clash occurred in Zahedan in which, according to Iran Wire’s report, at least one police officer was killed. Government-affiliated media also reported the killing of two armed individuals and the arrest of another, while Baluch sources identified the two killed as Baluch citizens. Therefore, there are also different accounts regarding the details and identities of those involved in the clash.

On the other hand, the killing of Maulvi Yousuf Gorgich is not the first incident of this kind in the current year. “Maulvi Mohammad Anwar Riggi,” the Friday imam of the Sunni community in Mirjaveh, was also killed by unidentified armed individuals on July 20, 2026. Reuters confirmed this incident and reported that the perpetrators were not identified at the time of the report’s publication.

This series of incidents demonstrates that armed violence in Sistan and Baluchestan remains a serious security issue, and several deadly incidents have occurred during the period under review. This province has long faced the activities of armed Baluch groups, smugglers, and security clashes, and this issue is not limited to recent days alone.

This section is the most important point in verifying the video. Tousi TV, in the video under review, uses the phrase “Islamic Republic is losing its grip on southeastern Iran” and regards the series of recent incidents as evidence of weakening government control.

However, this phrase is a political assessment and interpretation, not a report that can be directly concluded from existing statistics. In contrast, available data shows that the Islamic Republic’s security forces continue to conduct operations in Saravan, Zahedan, and other areas of the province, and have in some cases reported the killing of armed individuals and the arrest of some attackers.

For example, on September 18, Tasnim reported the killing of two alleged members of Jeish al-Adl and the arrest of another individual in Zahedan. On the other hand, the occurrence of lengthy clashes, attacks on security forces, and the killing of officials and figures close to the government show that the ability of armed groups to create insecurity in parts of the province remains significant.

Therefore, a more accurate description is that a wave of violence and armed clashes has occurred in southeastern Iran in recent days, and the capability of armed groups to target security forces and some figures close to the government has been demonstrated; however, the available evidence alone does not prove that the Islamic Republic has lost control of the region.