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Mohammad Reza Fallahzadeh
Iranian senior military officer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Mohammad Reza Fallahzadeh (Persian: محمدرضا فلاحزاده) 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.[1] Fallahzadeh served as the IRGC Quds Force's deputy for coordination affairs before taking the new job.[2]
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He served as governor of the Yazd Province from 2007 to 2013 during presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.[3]
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Early life and military career
Fallahzadeh was born in 1962 or 1963 in Abarkuh, in Yazd Province, Iran.[4] 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.[5]
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.[6][7] Hre 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.[1]
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Economic & military projects
After 2013, he headed Karbala Roads & Development, an IRGC linked construction outfit tied to Khatam al-Anbia, before being redeployed to Syria.[1] While in Syria he was promoted to become the Quds Force’s second-in-command, notably active in the Battle of Aleppo.[4]
Deputy commander of Quds Force
In April 2021, following the death of his predecessor Mohammad Hejazi, Fallahzadeh was appointed Deputy Commander of the Quds Force, the IRGC’s elite overseas operations branch.[7]
Recent developments
Since late 2023, he has been repeatedly linked by Israeli media as the target of airstrikes in Lebanon and Damascus. Iranian sources have consistently denied his death, and as of now he is officially still alive.[2][7] On October 2024, reports suggest he was appointed as a temporary supervisor of Hezbollah’s leadership, indicating Iran's deepening involvement in Lebanon via trusted Quds Force operators.[8]
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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.[9] 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.[10][11]
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.[12][13]
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See also
References
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