Mohammad Bagheri

Personal life Bagheri was born in 1960. His elder brother, Hassan Bagheri, was a commander in the Iran–Iraq War, in which he was killed in action.

Educations Mohammad Bagheri was in his final year of high school at the time of the Iranian revolution. After the revolution, he switched to technical courses at the university and was accepted into the Mechanical Engineering Department of the Polytechnic University. He continued his studies until the Cultural Revolution. Iran universities were closed in the spring of 1980 due to the Cultural Revolution. Bagheri began working in the IRGC in the summer of 1980. Bagheri is one of the founders of the Iranian Association of Geopolitics, alongside Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Yahya Rahim Safavi, and Gholam Ali Rashid.

Careers Mohammad Bagheri, a military intelligence expert with experience dating back to the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), held a Ph.D. in political geography and reportedly taught at Iran's Supreme National Defense University. In 1980, he joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Bagheri was a member of a group identified by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) as the IRGC Command Network, which included other commanders such as Mohammad Ali Jafari, Ali Fadavi, and Gholam Ali Rashid (who was also killed on 13 June 2025). According to AEI's Critical Threats Project, as of 2016 the group dominated “the upper echelons of Iran's military and controls planning, operations, intelligence, covert and irregular warfare operations, and internal security." He was promoted from his previous position as deputy chief of staff for intelligence and operations in the General Staff of Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran

In October 2017, he visited Iranian troops in Aleppo Governorate in northern Syria.

In February 2022, Bagheri announced that Iran would continue advancing its ballistic missile programme, both "in terms of quantity and quality".

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

On 3 December 2023, Bagheri suggested during meetings in Baghdad that Iran might directly intervene in the escalating tensions with the United States, in support of efforts to expel American forces from the region.

On 17 April 2025, Bagheri held talks in Tehran with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Defense, Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, in the highest profile talks between the two countries in decades.

Mohammad Bagheri held significant responsibilities during the Iran–Iraq War. After the war ended, he remained committed to his path and continued to serve the Islamic Republic of Iran. His military and academic background includes:

Military records Mohammad Bagheri's major military activities are as follows:

Mohammad Bagheri receiving the rank of Major General from the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2008.

Military rank Mohammad Bagheri received the rank of Major General from the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2008. Bagheri was promoted to the rank of Major General in 2008, alongside Mostafa Izadi.

Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri at the Armed Forces Logistic's Defense Achievements Exhibition, December 05, 2019. Mohammad Bagheri replaced Hassan Firouzabadi as Chief of Staff of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran on June 28, 2016, by order of Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei.

From 2002 to 2016, Mohammad Bagheri served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence and Operations of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran and as Deputy Coordinator of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, where he renovated the intelligence and operational structures of the Armed Forces of Iran. During his tenure as Chief of Staff of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (from June 28, 2016, to June 13, 2025), Bagheri played a significant role in integrating intelligence, developing missile capabilities, strengthening cyber warfare capacities, and advancing Iran’s cross-border operations. By formulating and presenting new, scientific security theories, he contributed substantially to the strategic enhancement of the Iranian Defense Forces. Bagheri has been a fundamental and key figure in advancing Iran’s military self-sufficiency.

Awards and badges This section includes Mohammad Bagheri's official insignia and awards, which were worn on his uniform. His civilian and unofficial awards are not listed here. held in Chabahar, on the "Development of the Makran Coast" and the "Maritime Power of the Islamic Republic of Iran". Bagheri stated there:

War On the night of Saturday, September 26, 2020, at the start of a television program on the Channel IRIB TV1 of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Radio and Television Department, Major General Bagheri addressed the reasons behind the war imposed on the Iranian nation by Iraq. He stated there:

Name change The older brother of Mohammad Bagheri (born Mohammad Hossein Afshordi), was Hassan Bagheri (born Gholamhossein Afshordi). Hassan Bagheri was the first head of intelligence and operations for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Mohammad Bagheri provided the following explanation for changing his surname from "Afshordi" to "Bagheri":

Sanctions On 8 April 2019, the United States designated Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a foreign terrorist organization. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel immediately thanked President Donald Trump on Twitter.

In 2022, following harsh suppression of Iranian protesters during the Mahsa Amini protests, Bagheri was sanctioned by the United States and Canada. He was also sanctioned by the United Kingdom in 2022 in relation to the Russo-Ukrainian War.

In October 2022, the European Union sanctioned Bagheri for his involvement in providing drones to Russia, used in attacks against Ukraine. The sanctions included asset freezes and travel bans. Bagheri publicly mocked the EU sanctions, saying: "I have a humanitarian proposal for the European Union. I give them the permission to confiscate all the properties and assets of Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri from all bank accounts in the world and use them to buy coal for European citizens. A difficult winter is ahead".

The EU Council Decision stated that Bagheri had played a key role in strengthening defence cooperation with Russia. The report says "He also participated in the development of Mohajer-6 drones and their supply to the Russian Federation for their use in the war of aggression against Ukraine. Therefore, Major-General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri is responsible for supporting actions which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine."

Role in key military operations Bagheri commanded pivotal Iran–Iraq War operations, including Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas (1982) and Operation Dawn 8 (1986), which reclaimed strategic territories in western Iran.

Contributions to missile and drone programs As Deputy for Strategic Planning (2000s), Bagheri oversaw advancements in Iran's ballistic missile and drone programs, later central to its "missile shield" doctrine.

Strategic doctrines on U.S./Israel Bagheri has consistently promoted "asymmetric deterrence", stating in a 2021 speech: "Threats must be neutralized at their origin."

Death Commemoration ceremony for Lieutenant General Mohammad Bagheri, Tuesday, July 08, 2025, Sadrieh Mosque, Tehran.

Bagheri was killed by the June 2025 Israeli strikes on Iran, reported both Iranian state media and the Israeli military; he was succeeded by Abdolrahim Mousavi. His funeral held on 28 June was set to take place along with those of all the top commanders killed during the Twelve-Day War.

Bagheri was targeted at his home during Israeli airstrikes on Iran in the early hours of Friday (Day off of the week in Iran), June 13, 2025, and was killed along with his wife, Ashraf Bagheri,

The body of Mohammad Bagheri (Afshordi) was buried in "Plot 24" of the "Behesht-e Zahra Martyrs' Garden" in Tehran, alongside the bodies of his wife, Ashraf Bagheri (Afshordi), and his daughter, Fereshteh Bagheri (Afshordi).

Commemoration ceremony A commemoration ceremony for Mohammad Bagheri was held on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at the Sadrieh Mosque in Tehran. The event was attended by commanders, military and civil officials, as well as the people of Tehran.

Fortieth day ceremony The ceremony commemorating the 40th day since the dying of Lieutenant General Mohammad Bagheri, along with his wife, Ashraf Bagheri, and his daughter, Fereshteh Bagheri, was held on Thursday evening, July 24, 2025, with the presence of the Speaker of the Parliament of Iran and the Chief of Staff of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The ceremony was attended by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly; Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Chief of Staff of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran; Major General Amir Hatami, Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army; Esmail Qaani, Commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; Hossein Simaee Sarraf, Minister of Science, Research, and Technology; Major General Mohammad Pakpour, Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); Brigadier General Hamid Vahedi, Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force; Abdullah Haji Sadeghi, Representative of the Supreme Leader of Iran in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); Abdolali Govahi, Head of Political Ideology of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran; Fathollah Jafari, Head of the Foundation for the Preservation of Hassan Bagheri's Works; Abolghasem Foroutan, Head of the Office of the Chief of Staff of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran; and Hossein Rahimi, Head of the Economic Security Police of Iran, at the "Hazrat-e Amir Mosque" located in the "Amirabad" area of Tehran.