Israel Tells US It Killed Iranian IRGC Colonel in Tehran

by | May 26, 2022

Israel Tells US It Killed Iranian IRGC Colonel in Tehran

by | May 26, 2022

Israel has told the US that it killed a senior member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who was gunned down in Tehran on Sunday, The New York Times reported Wednesday, citing an unnamed intelligence official.

IRGC Col. Hassan Sayyad Khodaei was shot five times by two gunmen on motorcycles outside his home. Israel was immediately suspected due to its history of targeted killings inside Iran.

Israeli officials haven’t publicly said they were responsible for Khodaei’s killing. But Israel typically does not officially take credit for attacks inside Iran, and its responsibility is usually revealed by leaks to the media.

Israeli officials claimed to the Times that Khodaei was involved with plots to kidnap and assassinate Israeli civilians and officials around the world. They said he was part of a covert IRGC group known as Unit 840. But Iran denies that Unit 840 even exists, and despite frequent Israeli claims, there is no evidence that Iran has attempted to target Israelis abroad.

According to the Times report, Iranian analysts believe Israel’s claims of IRGC plots to assassinate civilians were likely meant to prevent the US from removing the IRGC’s terrorist designation, which was a major sticking point in talks to revive the Iran nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA.

Khodaei’s killing came as negotiations between the US and Iran were stalled and was likely an effort to derail them for good. “These provocations are designed to pressure all sides to call off the nuclear deal or push Iran to react in a way that would be damaging. But Iran always takes the long-term calculative approach,” Gheis Ghoreishi, an analyst close to Iran’s government, told the Times.

Not long after Khodaei was killed, news broke that President Biden finalized his decision not to remove the IRGC from the terror list, which was conveyed to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. “I welcome the decision by the US Administration to keep Iran’s IRGC on the Foreign Terrorist Organizations list – which is where it belongs,” Bennett said.

Iran had previously launched attacks inside Iran aimed at sabotaging efforts to restore the JCPOA. In April 2021, Israel targeted Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility in an attack that came as the Biden administration began indirect talks with Iran aimed at reviving the JCPOA.

The previous known Israeli assassination inside Iran took place in November 2020, when Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was killed. Fakhrizadeh was targeted during the final months of the Trump administration, and the assassination was seen as a last-minute attempt to provoke a response from Iran while President Trump, a staunch Israel supporter, was still in office.

This article was originally featured at Antiwar.com and is republished with permission.

Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com. Follow him on Twitter @decampdave.

View all posts

Our Books

Shop books published by the Libertarian Institute.

Podcasts

scotthortonshow logosq

coi banner sq2@0.5x

liberty weekly thumbnail

Don't Tread on Anyone Logo

313x0w (1)

313x0w (1)

313x0w (1)

Our Books

Recent Articles

Recent

News Roundup 10/30/2025

News Roundup 10/30/2025

Latin America Trump Suggests US Strikes on Alleged Drug Shipments on ‘Land’ Are Coming Soon AWC US Bombs 9th Alleged Drug Boat in Latin America AWC US Deploying Aircraft Carrier Strike Group Near Venezuela as Regime Change Push Heats Up AWC Graham: Land Strikes in...

read more
News Roundup 10/23/2025

News Roundup 10/23/2025

  Drug War Hegseth Announces 7th US Bombing of Boat in the Caribbean AWC Bipartisan Bill in the Senate Would Block Trump From Going to War With Venezuela AWC US Bombs Boat Near Colombian Waters Nap Russia The Netherlands Scales Back Intel Sharing with US Nap...

read more
News Roundup 10/20/2025

News Roundup 10/20/2025

Venezuela Report: At Least One US Strike on Boat in The Caribbean Targeted Colombians AWC Trump Orders CIA to Conduct Lethal Covert Operations in Venezuela Nap US Flies B-52 Bombers Near Venezuela Nap Head of US Southern Command To Step Down Amid Strikes on Boats and...

read more

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This