Iran thwarts hijacking attempt on Tehran-Mashhad flight

The commander of the IRGC Aviation Protection Division has said that the intelligence forces foiled an attempted hijacking on Tehran-Mashhad flight successfully in recent weeks.

The commander of the IRGC unit in charge of aviation security, General Hadi Mollanouri, said that the incident occurred in November, when an individual with high physical strength attempted to disarm the flight security guard and had even plans to take hostages.

The commander noted that the attempt was neutralized through the alertness and prompt action of IRGC aviation protection forces, allowing the aircraft to land safely in Mashhad.

General Mollanouri added that in recent months and days, other threats - including bomb threats - had also been raised, but due to measures that were put in place, none of them led to any serious or critical problems.

He said the preventive actions taken by the IRGC Aviation Protection Division over the past years have created effective deterrence against hostile elements.

The commander further noted that over the past 41 years, aviation security has been maintained around the clock, with an average of about 500 flights operating daily. According to him, in the past year alone, around 45 million passengers were inspected by IRGC aviation protection personnel at 67 airports across Iran, covering both domestic and international flights.