Late Islamic Republic Official Called a 'Martyr' By the Government
Rumors Surround 'Suspicious' Deaths of Former IRI Officials
Overt Operator
October 02, 2023
Rostam Ghasemi
Tehran, Iran - The recent bestowal of the title "Martyr" upon Brigadier-General Rostam Ghasemi, the former economic affairs director of the Quds Force, has revived discussions surrounding the suspicious deaths of several Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders.
Ghasemi, who served as the minister of Roads and Urban Development during President Ebrahim Raisi's administration, passed away in December 2022 at the age of 56. Initially reported as a regular death, he is now posthumously recognized as a martyr, a term reserved for those who are "killed" while serving the government.
Ghasemi had claimed that Israel would try to assassinate him while he was alive. The Quds government is at odds with Israel which leads to frequent political tension, and suspicion that is often not corroborated.
However, following Ghasemi's death, rumors reportedly spread through Iran that he had been killed by a gang called the Energy Mafia. Iran researchers explain that much of Iran's economy is controlled by mafia organizations, due to the Islamic Republic's failing economic status, Iran Focus explained.
Iran Wire also reported that Ghasemi traveled to China near the time of his death, and that his treatment in China, and the possibility that he received traditional medicine in the far eastern nation, further itensified suspicions in Iran over his death.