Overview
Mehdi Ghasemzadeh is a Specially Designated National by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and an official of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ elite Quds Force (IRGC-QF), a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization responsible for Iran’s proxy conflicts in the Middle East. The IRGC-QF has played an active role in providing training and weapons to extremist groups including Iraqi insurgents, Lebanese Hezbollah, and others.“Treasury Designates Vast Network of IRGC-QF Officials and Front Companies in Iraq, Iran,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, March 26, 2020, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm957.
On March 26, 2020, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Ghasemzadeh as a specially designated national for providing support to or acting on behalf of the IRGC-QF.“Treasury Designates Vast Network of IRGC-QF Officials and Front Companies in Iraq, Iran,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, March 26, 2020, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm957.
Associated Groups
- Extremist entity
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
- Read Threat Report
- Type(s) of Organization:
- Military, terrorist, transnational, violent
- Ideologies and Affiliations:
- Islamist, Khomeinist, Shiite, state actor
- Position(s):
- Official
The IRGC is an Iranian government agency tasked with defending the regime against internal and external threats. The IRGC uses secret police methods against its opponents within Iran, and terrorist tactics against its enemies abroad.
History
United States
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Mehdi Ghasemzadeh as a Specially Designated National on March 26, 2020.“Treasury Designates Vast Network of IRGC-QF Officials and Front Companies in Iraq, Iran,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, March 26, 2020, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm957.
Daily Dose
Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.
In Their Own Words:
We reiterate once again that the brigades will directly target US bases across the region in case the US enemy commits a folly and decides to strike our resistance fighters and their camps [in Iraq].
Mar. 2023