Mohammad Reza Fallahzadeh

Mohammad Reza Fallahzadeh is an Iranian senior military officer and politician who is deputy commander of Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) since April 2021. Fallahzadeh served as the IRGC Quds Force's deputy for coordination affairs before taking the new job.

He served as governor of the Yazd province from 2007 to 2013 during presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Early life and military career Fallahzadeh was born in 1962 or 1963 in Abarkuh, in Yazd Province, Iran. His family has a military history as one brother was killed in the Iran–Iraq War in 1987 and the another still serves in the Quds Force. He himself joined the IRGC in 1980, around the onset of the Iran–Iraq War, although reports suggest he saw limited combat during the conflict.

Roles in IRGC While serving in the IRGC he rose through the ranks commanding multiple IRGC provincial divisions, the 33rd al‑Mahdi and 19th Fajr, later leading the IRGC units in Yazd, Isfahan, and Fars. He then served from 2007 to 2013, as Governor of Yazd Province under President Ahmadinejad. His tenure drew criticism for replacing civil officials with IRGC personnel and focusing on political advancement.

Sanctions

U.S. Sanction Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated him as a Specially Designated National (SDN) under these programs: IFSR, IRGC, and SDGT, linking him to the IRGC‐Qods Force. The sanctions were issued under Executive Order 13224, with risks of secondary sanctions under EO 13886. The U.S. Treasury highlighted his role in managing multi‑billion dollar IRGC‑Qods operations abroad, overseeing Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon proxies. OFAC’s public announcement is dated February 27, 2024.

UK Sanctions The UK Government imposed sanctions under the Iran (Sanctions) Regulations 2023 around the same time. Fallahzadeh was listed for his involvement in “hostile activity by an armed group backed by the Government of Iran,” including threats to other nations’ security. The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office noted these designations on February 27, 2024, applying travel bans and asset freezes.