IRGC Commander Visits Flood-Hit Areas North of Iran

A number of other IRGC commanders accompanied him in the visit on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters during the visit, Major General Jafari referred to participation of IRGC units in rescue and relief efforts and said the main priority is helping to drain the flood waters.

He said providing relief and accommodation to those affected is underway but drainage is taking some time as dredging riverbeds has not been prior to the flooding.

Heavy rainfall hit the two northern Iranian provinces of Mazandaran and Golestan on March 19-20. Rivers and other streams — abundant in northern Iran — overflew their banks as a result, in turn flooding cities, towns, villages, and farming communities. Two dams also overflew in Golestan.

Over 56,000 people have been affected in at least 70 villages in Golestan and more than 200 in Mazandaran. At least five people have been killed.

On Saturday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei called on officials and the nation to assist the flood-affected people.

Later, Iran’s top military commander ordered additional and coordinated efforts by the Iranian Armed Forces to help the residents in two provinces in the north of the country affected by severe flooding.

Major General Mohammad Baqeri, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, issued instructions to commanders in the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), the Iranian Army, Police, and the Defense Ministry that forces under their command should continue “full and organized” assistance in flood-hit areas in a coordinated manner.

Major General Jafari then ordered the IRGC commanders in all 31 provinces of Iran to help speed up relief and rescue operations in flood-hit areas.

He called on all commanders of the 31 provinces, the IRGC Ground Force, the IRGC Aerospace Force, and the Khatam al-Anbia Construction Base to facilitate the relief operations and dispatch more equipment and facilities to the two provinces.