Who Is Mohammad Pakpour? New IRGC Commander Appointed After Hossein Salami Killed In Israeli Strikes

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Friday appointed Mohammad Pakpour as the new commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), following the killing of Hossein Salami in Israel's targeted airstrikes.

The attack comes as tensions have reached new heights over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program.The strikes reportedly targeted Iran's nuclear program.

Israel Defence Forces took to micro-blogging website X and confirmed the killing of Hossein Salami. "We can now confirm that the Chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Commander of the IRGC and the Commander of Iran’s Emergency Command were all eliminated in the Israeli strikes across Iran by more than 200 fighter jets. These are three ruthless mass murderers with international blood on their hands. The world is a better place without them."

Who Is Mohammad Pakpour?

Born in 1961, Mohammad Pakpour is the internationally designated commander of the Ground Forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Pakpour has earned a PhD in political geography from Tehran University. Pakpour holds the rank of brigadier-general. He has led Iranian forces in the Syrian Civil War.

In June 2019 during his first tenure, U.S. President Donald Trump sanctioned Pakpour with other IRGC officials in June 2019 as part of a series of renewed sanctions on Iran.

Israel's military says Iran is launching drones in retaliation for its strikes on Terhan.

Brig Gen Effie Deffrin, Israel's chief army spokesman said, "In the last few hours, Iran has launched more than 100 drones toward Israel, and all the defense systems are acting to intercept the threats." Defrin added that some 200 Israeli fighter jets participated in the operation, striking some 100 targets, and that the attacks were continuing.