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| Sardar Mohammad Reza Zahedi | |
|---|---|
 Zahedi in 2017 | |
| Native name | محمدرضا زاهدی |
| Other name(s) |
See list:
|
| Born | (1960-11-02)2 November 1960 Isfahan, Imperial State of Iran |
| Died | 1 April 2024(2024-04-01) (aged 63) Damascus, Syria |
| Allegiance |  Islamic Republic of Iran |
| Service |  IRGC |
| Years of service | 1979–2024 |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
| Commands | |
| Battles / wars | |
Mohammad Reza Zahedi (Template:Lang-fa; 2 November 1960 – 1 April 2024) was an Iranian military officer. A senior figure within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), he had previously commanded the IRGC Aerospace Force and the IRGC Ground Forces, and was commanding the Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria at the time of his death.
In 2024, Zahedi was killed by an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syria. According to The Guardian, he was most likely a critical figure in coordinating Iran's relationship with Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Assad government of Syria.
Canada, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Sweden, and the United States have designated either or both the IRGC and/or the Quds Force as terrorist organizations.
Military career
Zahedi joined the IRGC in 1979 and served as a mid-level officer during the Iran–Iraq War. He led the 44th Qamar Beni Hashem Division from 1983 to 1986 and later headed the 14th Imam Hossein Division from 1986 to 1991. He was also the commander of the Thar-Allah Headquarters in Tehran and had been the deputy of IRGC operations. On 21 January 2006, he was appointed as the commander of the IRGC Ground Forces. From 2007 to 2015, he headed the Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon, coordinating the IRGC's activities with Shia-led proxies in those countries.
Quds Force
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In 1998, Qasem Soleimani, the Quds Force's new commander, appointed Zahedi as the organization's Lebanon Corps leader, responsible for providing arms and technical expertise to the Hezbollah military wing. According to Arash Azizi, this appointment and that of Hossein Sheikholeslam as the Iranian ambassador to Syria were indications of Soleimani's determination to strengthen Hezbollah in Lebanon and renew Iran–Syria collaboration.
Zahedi's first tenure as the Lebanon Corps leader lasted until 2002. In this capacity, he was instrumental in upgrading Hezbollah's capability for attacks within Israeli-occupied Southern Lebanon, and in planning Hezbollah's spring 2000 offensive that resulted in the defeat of the pro-Israel South Lebanon Army, ending the South Lebanon conflict in Hezbollah's favour after prompting Israel's withdrawal.
Following the end of his first tenure as the Lebanon Corps' leader, Zahedi is thought to have been part of a small joint IRGC–Hezbollah command cadre—alongside Soleimani, IRGC commander Ahmad Kazemi, and Lebanese Hezbollah chief Imad Mughniyeh—responsible for directing the construction of a large overground and underground fortification network in Southern Lebanon, which aided Hezbollah during the 2006 Lebanon War.
In 2008, Soleimani appointed Zahedi to the position of commander of the Quds Force's Lebanon Corps for a second time. This tenure lasted until his assassination by Israel in 2024. Iranian intervention in the Syrian civil war for the purpose of supporting Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, who has also been aided by a protracted Russian intervention, has been a source of contention for Israel.
Death
Main article: 2024 Iranian consulate airstrike in DamascusOn 1 April 2024, Zahedi was killed by an Israeli airstrike that targeted the consulate annex building adjacent to the Iranian embassy in Syria's Damascus. Between five and seven people were killed in the airstrike, according to Syria's Iranian ambassador Hossein Akbari. The strike caused "massive destruction" to the consulate building as well as damage to neighbouring buildings, according to Syrian state-owned media. Zahedi is the most senior IRGC officer to have been killed since the assassination of Qasem Soleimani by the United States in January 2020. After his death, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran condemned the attacks and said that the country reserves the right to execute a "decisive response" against the "aggressors" behind the airstrike, though the Israeli government avoided issuing any statements claiming responsibility.
Retaliation
On 13 April 2024, Iran launched hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles at Israel; the Israeli government stated that it intercepted 99% of the Iranian projectiles, but the attack critically injured a child. On 19 April 2024, Israel attacked an Iranian air defense system in response to the drone and missile barrage a week prior.
References
- ^ "Recent OFAC Actions". U.S. Department of the Treasury. 16 August 2010. Archived from the original on 7 April 2024. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ^ "Brigadier General Mohammad Reza (Ali) Zahedi". Iran Briefing. 28 January 2012. Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ^ "سردار محمدرضا زاهدی که بود؟" [Who was Sardar Mohammad Reza Zahedi?]. Mehr News Agency (in Persian). 1 April 2024. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "Israeli Airstrike Kills Iranian Commander in Syria". Iran International. 1 April 2024. Archived from the original on 5 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ "Leader Appoints New IRGC Ground Force and Air Force Commanders". The Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. 21 January 2006. Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ^ "Iran says Israel bombs its embassy in Syria, kills commanders". Reuters. Damascus. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- "Israeli airstrike on Iran consulate in Syria kills six including IRGC commander". The Guardian. 1 April 2024. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- "Mohammad Reza Zahedi: who was the Iranian commander killed in an Israeli strike in Syria?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- Atay Alam, Hande; Pourahmadi, Adam; John, Tara; Kent, Lauren; Goodwin, Allegra (1 April 2024). "Top Iranian commander killed in attack on consulate in Syria, Iran state-affiliated media reports". CNN. Archived from the original on 5 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- Ravid, Barak (1 April 2024). "Top Iranian general killed by Israeli airstrike: sources". Axios. Archived from the original on 5 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- "Senior Iranian commander killed in Israeli strike, Iran state media says". BBC News. April 2024. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- Williams, Dan; Hafezi, Parisa (13 April 2024). "Sirens and blasts sound across Israel after Iran launches drone attack". Reuters. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- "Satellite imagery shows that a precision attack damaged an air defense system at an Iranian base". The New York Times. 20 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
External links
Media related to Mohammad-Reza Zahedi at Wikimedia Commons
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byAhmad Kazemi | Commander of the Revolutionary Guard Air Force 25 August 2005 – 21 January 2006 |
Succeeded byHossein Salamias Commander of Aerospace Force |
| Preceded byAhmad Kazemi | Commander of the Revolutionary Guard Ground Force 21 January 2006 – 13 July 2008 |
Succeeded byMohammad Jafar Asadi |
| Commanders of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps | ||
|---|---|---|
| Commander-in-Chief |
|  |
| Chief of Joint Staff | ||
| Ground Force | ||
| Aerospace Force | ||
| Navy | ||
| Quds Force | ||
| Mobilization Force | ||
| Intelligence | ||
| Intelligence Protection |
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| Supreme Leader Representative | ||
| Ministers |
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 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sardars | ||
- 1960 births
- 2024 deaths
- Assassinated Iranian people
- Assassinations in Syria
- Deaths by Israeli airstrikes
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps brigadier generals
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel of the Syrian civil war
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel of the Iran–Iraq War
- Military personnel from Isfahan
- Military personnel killed in the Israel–Hamas war
- Quds Force personnel
- Targeted killing by Israel