IRGC Remains Silent on the True Cause of a Security Officer's Death at Mehrabad Airport

Media outlets close to IRIB and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed reports regarding the death of one of the IRGC's security officers at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport during a 'simulated drill' at the airport. The website of the 'Al-Alam' television network reported, citing the Telegram channel 'Young Journalists Club', that the identity of the deceased officer was announced as Mehdi Yazdi, along with a photo of him. According to this IRIB-affiliated media, this IRGC officer was injured during a shooting on July 3 and died after several days. The 'Jam News' website, close to the IRGC, also published the news of this officer's death on July 6, stating that he, who had a 'suicidal role in the Mehrabad Airport drill', was accidentally shot in the head and lost his life. However, the public relations and official websites of the IRGC have not published any statements regarding the confirmation or denial of this news, unlike in previous years, approximately 24 hours after multiple reports of the death of one of their personnel at Mehrabad Airport. The silence of this military force regarding the true cause of this individual's death has led to the spread of unverified news and reports on the matter. In recent years, the IRGC has changed its previous approach and has reacted to many incidents and news related to its forces when they become public, issuing statements to confirm or deny them. On July 3, the public relations of the IRGC Aviation Protection described the shooting at Mehrabad Airport as a 'defensive-security drill under real conditions' that was conducted 'successfully'. In the announcement, it was stated that 'contrary to what has been mentioned in some media and social networks, the sounds of gunfire heard were due to training exercises and there was no security issue.' The news of the death of one of the IRGC officers during this 'drill' and following the announcement from the IRGC and some other responsible bodies has also led to speculation and doubts about the main cause of the shooting and the death of an IRGC officer on social media. Some active Hezbollah forces on social media had reported the injury of Mehdi Yazdi before the news of his death was published, without mentioning his name, and called for prayers for his recovery. After the official news of his death was released in some media, these individuals congratulated his 'martyrdom'. The news of this IRGC officer's death during the drill was published while there were reports on some social media about 'arguing and loud noises' at the location of the airport security forces and then hearing several gunshots, which, however, has not yet been confirmed by any independent media source in Iran. Additionally, there was another report on social media about the death of this IRGC officer due to a 'dispute' with one of his colleagues, which has also only been mentioned as a speculation and has not gone further. Meanwhile, Mohsen Hamdani, the deputy security of Tehran's governorate, also stated that the shooting in Terminal 4 of Mehrabad Airport was related to a 'limited internal drill' of the armed forces. ISNA also reported on July 3, citing an unnamed 'informed source', that this 'drill' was conducted without prior notice and 'suddenly' so that 'the security forces could be well tested and simulate the conditions.' This 'informed source' and the deputy security of Tehran's governorate did not provide any explanation about whether all security forces inside Terminal 4 of Mehrabad Airport were aware of this drill. According to reports, Terminal 4 of Mehrabad Airport is designated for the departure of domestic flight passengers, but according to information published on the airport's flight announcement website, no flights were conducted from this terminal on the morning of Saturday. The Ansar al-Mahdi Protection Corps is one of the branches of the IRGC responsible for the protection of officials and sensitive locations of the Islamic Republic, including the Parliament. Since 1984, a unit named 'IRGC Aviation Protection' has been tasked with preventing hijackings and ensuring the security of parts of Iran's airports.