Mohammad Pakpour
{{Short description|Iranian military officer and commander of the IRGC Ground Forces}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = Sardar
| name = Mohammad Pakpour
| image = Sardar Mohammad Pakpour-by Tasnimnews.com 02).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = General Pakpour in April 2016
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1961}}
| birth_place = Imperial State of Iran
| death_place =
| nickname =
| allegiance = Iran
| branch = {{flagicon|Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps}} IRGC
| serviceyears = 1979–present
| rank = Major general
| commands = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Ground Forces of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution.svg}} IRGC Ground Forces
| unit =
| battles = {{tree list}}
- 1979 Kurdish rebellion
- Iran–Iraq War
- War in Iraq (2013–2017)
- Third Battle of Fallujah
- Iran–PJAK conflict
- West Iran Clashes
- Iran–Israel war
{{tree list/end}}
| awards = 30px Order of Fath (1st class)
}}
Mohammad Pakpour ({{langx|fa|محمد پاکپور}};{{lrm}} born 1961) is an Iranian military officer who is the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Ground Forces since 2009.{{cite news|agency=Fars News |title=The commander of the Army Corps|url=http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8807270157|access-date=2016-04-15|archive-date=2016-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427071907/http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8807270157|url-status=dead}}{{cite book|last1=mehrnews|title=Sardar Mohammad Pakpur|url=http://mehrnews.com/tag/%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1+%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF+%D9%BE%D8%A7%DA%A9%D9%BE%D9%88%D8%B1|access-date=2016-04-15|archive-date=2016-04-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422084645/http://mehrnews.com/tag/%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1+%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF+%D9%BE%D8%A7%DA%A9%D9%BE%D9%88%D8%B1|url-status=dead}} On 13 June 2025, he was appointed head of the IRGC following the death of his predecessor, Hossein Salami, in the June 2025 Israeli strikes on Iran.{{cite web |author= |date=13 June 2025 |title=Israel launches strikes against Iran nuclear and military facilities |url=https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20250613-israel-iran-nuclear |website=France 24 |location= |access-date=13 June 2025|quote=In separate decrees, Khamenei named Mohammad Pakpour to replace Hossein Salami as commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Abdolrahim Mousavi to replace Mohammad Bagheri as chief of the armed forces general staff.}}
Career
Pakpour joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the wake of the Iranian Revolution in 1979. He served during the 1979 Kurdish rebellion in Iran and the 8-year-long Iran–Iraq War. His responsibilities included five years of Army Operations Command, commander of the 8th Najaf Division, commander of 31st Ashura Division of Command chief Army's Northern Command headquarters. Pakpur has a PhD in Political Geography and has had responsibility for measures such as fighting terrorism in northwest Iran and establishing security in southeast Iran, as well as holding of specialized exercises.{{cite book|last1=asriran|title=Part of the new commander of land force records |url=http://www.asriran.com/fa/news/70950/%DA%AF%D9%88%D8%B4%D9%87%E2%80%8C%D8%A7%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%82-%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%8A-%D8%B2%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A-%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87}}{{cite book|last1=farsnews|title=Guards practical details on destruction of a terrorist squad in South East of Iran|url=http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13940117001431|access-date=2016-04-15|archive-date=2016-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427074144/http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=13940117001431|url-status=dead}}
During a maneuver, he asserted that the IRGC wants to promote the security of the region and the abilities of armed forces and to demonstrate new tactics in military operations.{{cite web |url=http://french.cri.cn/621/2016/04/10/602s475312.htm |title=Le CGRI de l'Iran mènera des exercices militaires dans les jours à venir (TV) - china radio international |website=french.cri.cn |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423215521/http://french.cri.cn/621/2016/04/10/602s475312.htm |archive-date=2016-04-23}} He expressed that drones like Hemaseh help to keep the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on their toes and shows the consistency and preparedness of the force.[http://www.defenseworld.net/news/15809/Iranian_Guards_Corps_Debuts__Hamasseh__Drone#.VxC5jpXn9dg Iranian Guards Corps Debuts 'Hamasseh' Drone], DefenseWorld.net, 13 April 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
U.S. sanctions
On 24 June 2019, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned him, freezing any of his U.S. assets and banning U.S. persons from doing business with him.{{Cite web|url=https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20190624.aspx|title=Issuance of Executive Order of June 24, 2019, "Imposing Sanctions with Respect to Iran;" Iran-related Designations; Counter Terrorism Designations |website=U.S. Department of the Treasury |access-date=2019-06-24}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
{{Commonscatinline}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=Hossein Salami}}
{{s-ttl|title= Commander of the Revolutionary Guards|years=13 June 2025–present}}
{{s-aft|after=Incumbent}}
{{succession box|
before=Mohammad Jafar Asadi|
title= Commander of Ground Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps|
years=2009–present|
after=Incumbent}}
{{s-end}}
{{IRGC Commanders}}
{{Iranian military commanders}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pakpour, Mohammad}}
Category:Recipients of the Order of Fath
Category:Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps brigadier generals
Category:Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel of the Iran–Iraq War
Category:Iranian individuals subject to U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctions