Mohammad Hossein Afshardi (Mohammad Bagheri): A Military Life Shaped by War and Strategy
Introduction
Mohammad Hossein Afshardi, more widely known by his wartime and official name, Mohammad Bagheri, was one of the most prominent military commanders of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Born in 1939 (1960 AD) and martyred on June 13, 1404 (June 3, 2025 AD), Bagheri rose through the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to become the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, a position he held from 1395 (2016) until his death. His legacy is closely tied to Iran’s strategic military development, the IRGC’s evolution, and the broader geopolitical tensions that shaped the Middle East in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Early Life and Background
Mohammad Hossein Afshardi was born in 1939 in Tehran, near Khorasan Square, a densely populated and historically working-class district of the capital. His family hailed from the village of Afshard in Haris County, East Azerbaijan Province. The cultural and ethnic heritage of East Azerbaijan, with its strong sense of national identity and history of resistance, had a profound influence on his upbringing.
From a young age, Mohammad displayed a keen intellect and a disciplined nature. He completed his elementary and secondary education in Tehran and was in the final year of high school when the Islamic Revolution erupted in 1979. The revolutionary fervor quickly swept him into political and religious activism, aligning him with the goals of the new Islamic Republic.