Revolutionary Guards say Sunni Kurdish cleric killed in West Azerbaijan by separatists

The Revolutionary Guards reported that Mamosta Mohammad Nezhati, a Sunni Kurdish cleric affiliated with the Basij paramilitary force, was killed in northwestern Iran’s West Azerbaijan province. The Guards’ statement, relayed by Mehr news agency, blamed “Zionist-American Kurdish separatist groups” for the shooting, alleging the motive was to create Sunni-Shiite tensions and undermine provincial security. A Telegram post from Fars news agency highlighted Nezhati’s long-standing cooperation with Basij organizations for religious scholars.

This killing comes after the July assassination of Molavi Mohammad Anvar Rigi, a Sunni Baluch Friday-prayer leader in the southeastern town of Mirjaveh. Iran’s border regions, including Sistan-Baluchistan and the Kurdish-populated west, have historically experienced militancy targeting security forces and state-linked figures.