Two high-ranking members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed in a gyroplane crash on Monday near Sirkan, a city in Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province.
The casualties include Brigadier General Hamid Mazandarani, commander of the Nineveh Brigade, and his pilot, as confirmed by the state-affiliated Fars News Agency.
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The report states that the gyroplane went down during a counterterrorism operation in an area known for clashes involving security forces, Sunni militants, and drug traffickers.
Fars described the fatal incident as part of a combat exercise in the region, raising questions about Mazandarani’s presence in the southeast since he is stationed in a northern province.
The crash comes in the wake of recent violence that claimed the lives of ten Iranian law enforcement officers following a terrorist attack in Taftan’s Gohar Kuh district. Details from Fars suggest that military exercises in Sistan-Baluchistan have intensified as Iran grapples with regional security challenges.
This tragedy marks the second high-profile military aviation accident in Iran this year, following the May helicopter crash that killed former President Ebrahim Raisi. Aviation incidents involving top officials are rare, but they have heightened concern as Iran faces increased military tensions in the region.
Separately, recent Israeli strikes on Iran’s IRGC facilities have escalated hostilities. Last month, an Israeli attack targeted the IRGC’s Shahroud base, linked to Iran’s missile and space programs. Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Syed Abbas Araghchi, alleged U.S. involvement in the strikes, prompting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to issue warnings of retaliation against Israel and the U.S.
The IRGC, directly overseen by Khamenei, continues its operations in collaboration with groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, a stance that contributes to Iran’s involvement in the wider Middle East conflict.
