Death of One of Khamenei's Guards 'During Training Mission'

The Public Relations of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reports the death of Colonel Hassan Akbari during a training mission due to a weapon malfunction; some media outlets refer to him as one of the 'close guards' of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. Fars News Agency published a picture of Hassan Akbari alongside Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, and expressed condolences to him for Akbari's death. According to a report on Saturday, May 11, from the Public Relations of the IRGC, Hassan Akbari, who was an officer in the IRGC's Vali Amr unit, lost his life 'due to a weapon malfunction.' Meanwhile, Young Journalists Club also referred to him as 'one of the close guards of the Leader of the Revolution' in their report on Akbari's death. News sources have not provided further details on how this incident occurred. The Vali Amr Force, of which Hassan Akbari was a member, is a special military unit of the IRGC established in 1986, primarily responsible for protecting the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. Ali Khamenei has previously referred to himself as the 'Guardian of the Muslims' in response to inquiries about his commitment to the principle of Velayat-e Faqih.