Iran: Officer Behind Push to Close Strait of Hormuz Killed in Mysterious Crash

Mohammad Akbarzadeh, a senior official in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and one of the figures behind the push to close the Strait of Hormuz, was killed in a car accident in the city of Kerman in southern Iran. Spokespeople for the Revolutionary Guards confirmed the news today (Tuesday).

Akbarzadeh served as the political deputy and spokesperson for the Revolutionary Guards navy, and was considered a central figure in advancing the strategy of closing the strait. He frequently spoke out on issues related to the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s naval readiness, and the country’s relations with the United States and Israel.

According to the Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, the accident took place while he was traveling on a road in Kerman Province, on the way from the city of Yazd. Police and emergency crews were called to the scene and evacuated Akbarzadeh to a medical center, but he died of his wounds. According to the report, Iranian authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of the accident and the circumstances surrounding it.

According to some reports, Akbarzadeh was the "mastermind" behind many of Iran’s ideas and strategic moves surrounding the issue of the Strait of Hormuz during the war and afterward. Earlier this month, the European Union imposed sanctions on him, claiming that he supported measures to restrict freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a separate incident, reports from Iran this morning said that two Revolutionary Guards members were killed last night in what was described as a "terror attack" in the city of Paveh, in Kermanshah Province in northwestern Iran. They are suspected of having been shot by a sniper. Iranian state television said that two additional people were wounded in the shooting, in what the regime described as a "terror attack."