State news agency IRNA denies assassination of IRGC Quds Force commander

IRNA, citing an unnamed "informed source," announced that the claim by some media outlets that a commander of the IRGC's Quds Force, Colonel Ali Esmailzadeh, was assassinated in Karaj is a complete lie, and that the IRGC officer lost his life in an accident in his home, the cause of which is under investigation.

This is while news sources in Iran say that Colonel Ali Esmailzadeh died after falling from the balcony of his house. The IRGC-affiliated Emariyon channel had previously reported the assassination of a member of the Quds Force, but an hour later deleted the news and declared the cause of Colonel Esmailzadeh's death to be suicide.

The Sabreen News account, belonging to the IRGC's Quds Force, also wrote on Twitter: "The cause of Esmailzadeh's death has not yet been determined."

Last week, Colonel Hassan Sayyad Khodai, a senior commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force, was shot dead in front of his home in Tehran. A few days later, Israeli officials informed the United States that Mossad agents had eliminated Sayyad Khodai because of his role in overseas assassinations and his threat to Israeli forces.

Following this Israeli stance, Islamic Republic officials once again promised harsh revenge.

Source: Voice of America