charge of issuing orders to seize the properties of the wealthy, especially those associated with the Pahlavi regime, as many of them had fled the country.
Shortly after the revolution, Seyyed Mohammad Beheshti and Morteza Motahari informed Rafiqdoost of Khomeini’s decree to establish the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He was then instructed to leave his position at the Alavi School and assist in forming the IRGC. In an interview with ISNA, Rafiqdoost credited Mohammad Montazeri with the idea of forming the IRGC but asserted that he played a leading role in its foundation.
Military and Political Career
IRGC Procurement and Ministerial Role
From 1978 to 1982, Rafiqdoost headed the IRGC’s procurement department, ensuring the newly formed organization had adequate resources and weaponry. He later served as the Minister of the IRGC from 1982 to 1988, overseeing military strategies and strengthening Iran’s defensive capabilities during the Iran-Iraq War.
Leadership at the Mostazafan Foundation
Following his tenure as IRGC Minister, Rafiqdoost became the head of the Foundation for the Oppressed and Veterans (Mostazafan Foundation) from 1989 to 1999. The foundation, originally established to manage confiscated properties from the Pahlavi era, played a key role in Iran’s economic landscape. Rafiqdoost remained involved in the foundation even after stepping down from his leadership position, continuing as a board member and maintaining his rank as a brigadier general in the IRGC.