List of commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps
Command
Supreme Leader

Joint Staff
Military branches
Ground Forces
Aerospace Force
Navy
Quds Force
Basij
Intelligence agencies
Intelligence Organization
Intelligence Protection Organization
Personnel
Ranks insignia
Facilities
Imam Hossein University
Baqiyatallah University
University of Command and Staff
Amir Al-Momenin University

The following individuals have been identified as commanding officers (currently or in the past) of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces.

Commanders-in-chief

Javad Mansouri was IRGC's "first unofficial commander"[1] and acting during its "early formative phase".[2] Abbas Aghazamani, however, is considered the "first official operational commander" and was appointed by the commander-in-chief.[1]

No. Portrait Commander-in-Chief Took office Left office Time in office Ref.
–
Javad Mansouri [fa]
Mansouri, JavadJavad Mansouri
Acting		March 1979May 19793 months[2]
–
Mostafa Chamran
Chamran, MostafaMostafa Chamran
(1932–1981)
Acting		Summer 1979Summer 1979de facto officeholder[2]
–
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Rafsanjani, AkbarAkbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
(1934–2017)
Acting		August 1979August 1979less than a month[2][1]
–
Hassan Lahouti [fa]
Lahouti, HassanHassan Lahouti
Acting		October 1979November 19792 months[1]
–
Fereydoun Kian
Kian, FereydounLieutenant colonel
Fereydoun Kian
Acting		late 1979late 1979Unknown[2]
–
Ali Khamenei
Khamenei, AliAli Khamenei
(born 1939)
Acting		24 November 197924 February 198092 days[1]
–
Abbas Duzduzani
Duzduzani, AbbasAbbas Duzduzani
(1942–2018)
Acting		19801980Unknown[1][3]
1
Abbas Aghazamani [fa]
Aghazamani, AbbasAbbas Aghazamani2 June 198027 June 198025 days[4]
2
Morteza Rezaee [fa]
Rezaee, MortezaMorteza Rezaee22 July 198020 September 19811 year, 60 days[4]
3
Mohsen Rezaee
Rezaee, MohsenMajor general
Mohsen Rezaee
(born 1954)		20 September 198119 September 199715 years, 364 days[4]
4
Yahya Rahim Safavi
Safavi, Yahya RahimMajor general
Yahya Rahim Safavi
(born 1952)		19 September 199710 September 20079 years, 356 days[4]
5
Mohammad Ali Jafari
Jafari, Mohammad AliMajor general
Mohammad Ali Jafari
(born 1957)		10 September 200721 April 201911 years, 223 days[4]
6
Hossein Salami
Salami, HosseinMajor general
Hossein Salami
(1960–2025)		21 April 201913 June 2025 †6 years, 53 days[5]
–
Ahmad Vahidi
Vahidi, AhmadBrigadier general
Ahmad Vahidi
(born 1958)
Acting		13 June 202513 June 20250 days[6]
7
Mohammad Pakpour
Pakpour, MohammadBrigadier general
Mohammad Pakpour
(born 1961)		13 June 2025Incumbent60 days[7]

Timeline

Mohammad PakpourAhmad VahidiHossein SalamiMohammad Ali JafariYahya Rahim SafaviMohsen RezaeeAbbas DuzduzaniAli KhameneiFereydoun KianAkbar Hashemi RafsanjaniMostafa Chamran

Deputy commanders-in-chief

No. Portrait Deputy Commander-in-Chief Took office Left office Time in office Ref.
1
Yousef Kolahdouz
Kolahdouz, YousefMajor
Yousef Kolahdouz
(1946–1981)		July 198029 September 19811 year, 90 days[8]
2
Ali Shamkhani
Shamkhani, AliAli Shamkhani
(1955–2025)		June 198224 September 19897 years, 115 days[2][9]
3
Yahya Rahim Safavi
Safavi, Yahya RahimYahya Rahim Safavi
(born 1952)		24 September 198910 September 19977 years, 351 days–
4
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr
Bagher Zolghadr, MohammadBrigadier general
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr
(born c. 1954/1955)		13 September 199730 April 20068 years, 229 days–
5
Morteza Rezaee [fa]
Rezaee, MortezaBrigadier general
Morteza Rezaee		30 April 200622 May 20082 years, 22 days–
6
Mohammad Hejazi
Hejazi, MohammadBrigadier general
Mohammad Hejazi
(1956–2021)		22 May 20084 October 20091 year, 135 days–
7
Hossein Salami
Salami, HosseinBrigadier general
Hossein Salami
(1960–2025)		4 October 200921 April 20199 years, 199 days–
8
Ali Fadavi
Fadavi, AliCommodore
Ali Fadavi
(born 1961)		16 May 2019Incumbent6 years, 88 days–

Timeline

Ali FadaviHossein SalamiMohammad HejaziMohammad Bagher ZolghadrYahya Rahim SafaviAli ShamkhaniYousef Kolahdouz

Chiefs of the Joint Staff

Main article: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Joint Staff § List of Chiefs

Commanders of military branches

Ground Forces

Main article: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Ground Forces § Commanders

Aerospace Force

Main article: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force § Commanders
Main article: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy § Commanders

Quds Force

Main article: Quds Force § Commanders

Basij

Main article: Basij § Commanders

Chairmen of intelligence agencies

Intelligence Organization

Main article: Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps § Senior officials

Intelligence Protection Organization

Main article: Intelligence Protection Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps § Chairmen

Supreme Leader Representatives

No. Portrait Representative Took office Left office Time in office Ref.
1
Hassan Lahouti [fa]
Lahouti, HassanHassan Lahouti
(1927–1981)		197919790 years–
2
Fazlollah Mahallati [fa]
Mahallati, FazlollahFazlollah Mahallati
(1930–1986)		198019810–1 years–
3
Hassan Taheri-Khorramabadi [fa]
Taheri-Khorramabadi, HassanHassan Taheri-Khorramabadi198119820–1 years–
4
Mohammad-Reza Faker [fa]
Faker, Mohammad-RezaMohammad-Reza Faker198219830–1 years–
(2)
Fazlollah Mahallati [fa]
Mahallati, FazlollahFazlollah Mahallati
(1930–1986)		198320 February 1986 †2–3 years–
5
Abdollah Nouri
Nouri, AbdollahAbdollah Nouri
(born 1950)		198919900–1 years–
6
Mahmoud Mohammadi-Araghi [fa]
Mohammadi-Araghi, MahmoudMahmoud Mohammadi-Araghi199019910–1 years–
7
Mohammad-Ali Movahedi Kermani
Movahedi-Kermani, Mohammad-AliMohammad-Ali Movahedi Kermani
(born 1932)		1991200614–15 years–
8
Ali Saeedi Shahroudi [fa]
Saeedi Shahroudi, AliAli Saeedi Shahroudi2006201811–12 years–
9
Abdollah Haji Sadeghi [fa]
Haji Sadeghi, AbdollahAbdollah Haji Sadeghi2018Incumbent6–7 years–

Ministers

Main article: Ministry of Revolutionary Guards § Ministers

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Steven O'Hern (2012). Iran's Revolutionary Guard: The Threat That Grows While America Sleeps. Potomac Books, Inc. pp. 18, 22–23. ISBN 978-1597977012.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Nikola B. Schahgaldian, Gina Barkhordarian (March 1987), The Iranian Military Under the Islamic Republic (PDF), RAND, p. 118, ISBN 978-0-8330-0777-3, retrieved 15 January 2017
  3. ^ Sinkaya, Bayram (2015), The Revolutionary Guards in Iranian Politics: Elites and Shifting Relations, Routledge, pp. 96–97, ISBN 978-1317525646
  4. ^ a b c d e Forozan, Hesam (2015), The Military in Post-Revolutionary Iran: The Evolution and Roles of the Revolutionary Guards, Routledge, Table 2.1: Commander-in-Chief of the Sepah Since 1979, p 59, ISBN 9781317430742
  5. ^ Gladstone, Rick. "Iran's Supreme Leader Replaces Head of Revolutionary Guards". NYT. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  6. ^ "By EXECUTIVE ORDER OF THE SUPREME LEADER, Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has been appointed as TEMPORARY COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE IRGC". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Who Is Mohammad Pakpour? New IRGC Commander Appointed After Hossein Salami Killed In Israeli Strikes". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
  8. ^ Allamian, Saeed (2016). I say for the history: Memories of Mohsen Rafighdoust (in Persian). Soore-ye Mehr. p. 127. ISBN 9786000302931. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  9. ^ Katzman, Kenneth (September 1993). "The Pasdaran: institutionalization of revolutionary armed force". Iranian Studies. 26 (3–4): 389–402. doi:10.1080/00210869308701809.
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