(J.E. Dyer) The recent dynamic in developments between the U.S., regional nations, and Iran may have started with the reported defection of a senior IRGC officer, Brig.-Gen. Ali Nasiri, in April. According to the Islamic State of Iran Crime Research Center (ISICRC), in a 22 April report, Nasiri sought refuge at a U.S. embassy in the Persian Gulf on 12 or 13 April, following an 11 April blow-up with Ayatollah Khamenei's representative in the IRGC. This is a high-level defector. Nasiri commanded the IRGC's Protection Bureau, which provides security for the regime. Previously, he commanded the Seyyed al-Shohada Guards unit in Tehran Province, the command that handles security in Tehran. ISICRC reported that Nasiri was "carrying important strategic documents" when he went to the U.S. embassy, seeking political asylum. The writer is a retired U.S. Naval Intelligence officer.
2019-05-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive