Mohammad Bagheri (Iranian commander)

Sardar
Mohammad Bagheri
Bagheri in 2017
Birth name Mohammad-Hossein Afshordi[1]
Born c. 1960/1961 (age 57–58)[2]
Allegiance Iran
Service/branch Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Years of service 1979–present[3]
Rank Major General
Commands held Chief of the General Staff of Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Battles/wars
Awards Fath Medal of Honor (3)
Nasr Medal of Honor

Major general Mohammad Bagheri (Persian: محمد باقری‎) is an Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps military commander currently serving at the most senior military position available in Iran, Chief of Staff for the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.[4] A military intelligence expert with his experience dating back to Iran–Iraq War,[5] he holds a PhD in political geography and reportedly teaches at Iran's Supreme National Defense University.[3]

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.[6]

Mohammad Bagheri and other commanders, including Mohammad Ali Jafari, Ali Fadavi, and Gholam Ali Rashid, are members of a group identified by the controversial 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."[7]

Speaking of ISIS, Mohammad Bagheri said "Baghdad is our red line" and declared that Iran would intervene militarily if ISIS were to attack Baghdad.[4]

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

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. 1 2 3 4 5 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. 1 2 "If ISIS attacks Baghdad, Iran will intervene militarily, says Iranian general". IranGeo. 3 December 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  5. ↑ A New Military Chief Rises in Iran, Stratfor, 8 July 2016, retrieved 1 March 2017
  6. ↑ Erdbrink, Thomas, Iran’s Supreme Leader Shakes Up Military Command New York Times, 28 June 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  7. ↑ Fulton, Will. "IRGC Command Network: Formal Structures and Informal Influence" (PDF). AEI Critical Threats Project. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
Military offices
Preceded by
Hassan Firouzabadi		 Chief-of-Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces
2016–present		 Incumbent
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