IRGC colonel assassinated in Tehran

A colonel of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was assassinated in a gun attack in the capital Tehran on Sunday, the IRGC said in a statement carried by state media.

Khodaei was assassinated around 4 p.m. local time by two motorcyclists who fired five bullets at him near his house, the semi-official Fars news agency said.

The IRGC statement identified the victim as Colonel Sayad Khodaei and blamed “anti-revolution (groups) and agents of global arrogance” for his killing. Iran uses the term “anti-revolution” to describe anti-regime opposition groups.

Analysts believe Iran's hardline government is involved in Khodaei's assassination, as he had reportedly voiced support for the rising dissatisfaction with the economic situation in Iran where almost half of the 85 million population lives under the poverty line.

Iran has been rocked by protests in recent weeks against an economic crisis exacerbated by subsidy cuts that saw the prices of basic goods soar.

Protesters chanted "Raisi should be ashamed and leave the country alone," "the clerics must get lost," "no progress, no recreation, our youth was wasted," and "down with rising prices".

According to unofficial sources and information published on social networks, at least five people have been killed so far in the nationwide protests as anti-riot police have been deployed across the country to quell unrest.

Meanwhile, the Iranian government has cut off the internet in a number of areas and cities that have witnessed protests, including Khuzestan province.

For more than two weeks, thousands of people have taken part in protests mostly in western areas, including Khuzestan and Chaharmahal Bakhtiari provinces, and the cities of Boroujerd in Lorestan province, and Dehdasht in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province.