Mohammad Bagheri (Iranian commander)

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Sardar Major general Pasdar

Mohammad Bagheri
Birth nameMohammad-Hossein Afshordi[1]
Bornc. 1960 or 1961 (age 63–64)[2][failed verification]
Tehran, Imperial State of Iran
Allegiance Iran
Service / branchIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Years of service1979–present[3]
RankMajor General
CommandsGeneral Staff of Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Operations and Intelligence Deputy of General Staff
Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence and Operations, General Staff
Battles / wars
Awards Order of Fath (3)
Order of Nasr

Major General Mohammad Bagheri (Persian: محمد باقری), born Mohammad-Hossein Afshordi[4] (Persian: محمدحسین افشردی) is an Iranian military officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who serves as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.[5]

Career

Also, a military intelligence expert with his experience dating back to the Iran–Iraq War,[6] he holds a Ph.D. in political geography and reportedly teaches at Iran's Supreme National Defense University.[3] In 1980, he joined the IRGC.[7]

Mohammad Bagheri and other commanders, including Mohammad Ali Jafari, Ali Fadavi, and Gholam Ali Rashid, are members of a group identified by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) as the IRGC Command Network. According to AEI's Critical Threats Project, the group "dominates the upper echelons of Iran's military and controls planning, operations, intelligence, covert and irregular warfare operations, and internal security."[8] He was promoted from his previous position as deputy chief of staff for intelligence and operations in the General Staff[3] on June 28, 2016, replacing Hassan Firouzabadi.[9]

Bagheri with Qasem Soleimani and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on 11 March 2019

In October 2017, he visited Iranian troops in Aleppo province in northern Syria.[10]

In February 2022, according to Reuters, Bagheri announced that Iran will continue advancing its ballistic missile programme, both "in terms of quantity and quality".[11]

On 21 October 2022, a White House press release stated that Iranian troops were in Crimea assisting Russia in launching drone attacks.[12] Bagheri was the commander overseeing the Iranian army branches supplying Russia with drones.[13]

On 3 December 2023, Iranian Armed Forces General Staff Chief Major General Mohammad Bagheri implied during meetings in Baghdad that Iran could become directly involved in this escalation with the United States to support the effort to expel US forces.[14]

Personal life

His elder brother, Hasan Bagheri, was a commander in the Iran–Iraq War.[3]

Sanctions

On April 8, 2019, the United States designated Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a foreign terrorist organization.[15] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel immediately thanked Trump on Twitter.[15] "We consider the U.S. troops in West Asia to be terrorists and if they do a damn thing, we will confront them vigorously" Mohammad Bagheri said.[16]

Sanctioned by the UK government in 2022 in relation to Russo-Ukrainian War. [17]

In September 2022, following harsh suppression of protesters during the Mahsa Amini protests, Mohammad Bagheri was sanctioned by the United States and Canada.

See also

References

  1. ^ Arash Karami (28 June 2016). "Khamenei appoints new head of Iran's armed forces". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  2. ^ Kenneth Katzman (6 February 2017), "Iran's Foreign and Defense Policies" (PDF), Congressional Research Service, Federation of American Scientists, p. 22, retrieved 1 March 2017
  3. ^ a b c d e Who Is Iran's New Armed Forces Chief of Staff?, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 5 July 2016, retrieved 1 March 2017
  4. ^ Later changed his last name to his mothers last name after the death of his father.
  5. ^ "If ISIS attacks Baghdad, Iran will intervene militarily, says Iranian general". IranGeo. 3 December 2016. Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  6. ^ A New Military Chief Rises in Iran, Stratfor, 8 July 2016, retrieved 1 March 2017
  7. ^ Nadimi, Farzin. "Who Is Iran's New Armed Forces Chief of Staff?". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
  8. ^ Fulton, Will. "IRGC Command Network: Formal Structures and Informal Influence" (PDF). AEI Critical Threats Project. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  9. ^ Erdbrink, Thomas, Iran’s Supreme Leader Shakes Up Military Command New York Times, 28 June 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  10. ^ "Protests Put Spotlight on Iran's Vast and Shadowy Syria War". Voice of America. 5 January 2018.
  11. ^ "Iran commander says Tehran will continue advancing its missile program – Tasnim". Reuters. 2022-02-09. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  12. ^ Madhani, Aamer; Miller, Zeke (21 October 2022). "US: Iranian troops in Crimea backing Russian drone strikes". AP News.
  13. ^ "U.S. says Iranian troops "directly engaged" in Crimea, backing Russian drone strikes". CBS News. 20 October 2022.
  14. ^ "Iran Update". December 3, 2023.
  15. ^ a b Wong and Schmitt, Edward and Eric (8 April 2019). "Trump Designates Iran's Revolutionary Guards a Foreign Terrorist Group". The New York Times.
  16. ^ O'CONNOR, TOM (11 April 2019). "IRAN SAYS IT WILL HELP REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS FIGHT 'TERRORIST' U.S. MILITARY; ALLIES OFFER THEIR SUPPORT". newsweek.
  17. ^ "CONSOLIDATED LIST OF FINANCIAL SANCTIONS TARGETS IN THE UK" (PDF). Retrieved 16 April 2023.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mohammad Bagheri.
Military offices
Preceded by Chief-of-Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces
2016–present 		Incumbent
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