The death of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy senior official has raised suspicion in Iran. According to media outlets affiliated with the regime, Mohammad Akbarzadeh was killed in a car accident in the southeastern province of Kerman.
A report that appeared in Fars News Agency said Akbarzadeh was critically injured after his car overturned while travelling on the road leading from the Yazd region. He was taken to a hospital – but was pronounced dead there.
Though the Iranian media outlets made no mention of anything suspicious related to the death, questions have been raised on social media and among Iranian opposition figures about the timing of the incident, which comes at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and the United States and Israel, according to Israeli media reports.
Akbarzadeh served as deputy head of political affairs and naval spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards. In his role, he was a prominent spokesperson on issues related to the Strait of Hormuz, threats to Israel and the United States, and the readiness of Iran's naval forces. Earlier this year, he was even sanctioned by the European Union for his involvement in the policy of restricting freedom of navigation in the region.
Iranian authorities said an investigation has been opened into the circumstances of the accident, but have not released any further findings at this stage. At the same time, international media outlets reported on the incident based on Iranian sources, but there was no official indication that the senior official's death was related to a military operation, assassination, or attack.
