Overview

Mohammad Hejazi was the internationally designated deputy commander of the Quds Force, the expeditionary arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Hejazi began serving in the role in January 2020, after the Quds Force’s previous deputy commander, Esmail Ghaani, replaced former Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike.David Daoud, “Profile of Deputy Commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force Mohammad Hejazi,” United Against Nuclear Iran, April 1, 2020, https://www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com/blog/profile-of-deputy-commander-of-irgcs-quds-force-mohammad-hejazi. During the 1990s and early 2000s, Hejazi led Iran’s Basij militia and oversaw violent crackdowns on protesters while transforming the Basij into a political power in Iran.Ali Alfoneh, “Who Is Mohammad Hossein-Zadeh Hejazi, the New Deputy Commander of Iran’s Qods Force?,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, January 22, 2020, https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/who-is-mohammad-hossein-zadeh-hejazi-the-new-deputy-commander-of-irans-qods. Hejazi died of heart disease in April 2021.“High-ranking Iranian general dies of heart disease at 65,” Associated Press, April 19, 2021, https://apnews.com/article/iran-middle-east-lebanon-syria-iraq-1e44c01fedd6b62b2256666a2ade83dc.

Hejazi joined the IRGC shortly after its creation following the start of Iran’s 1979 revolution. As a deputy commander during the Iran-Iraq War, Hejazi worked to recruit and mobilize Basij forces.David Daoud, “Profile of Deputy Commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force Mohammad Hejazi,” United Against Nuclear Iran, April 1, 2020, https://www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com/blog/profile-of-deputy-commander-of-irgcs-quds-force-mohammad-hejazi. Hejazi was commissioned as an officer after the war and became deputy commander of the Basij.Muhammid Sahimi, “The IRGC Strategic Brain Trust | Part 2: Ahmadian, Hejazi, and Jafari,” Frontline, August 11, 2012, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2012/08/the-irgc-strategic-brain-trust-part-2-ahmadian-hejazi-and-jafari.html. In the 1990s, Hejazi represented the IRGC in Lebanon. It is suspected Hejazi played a role in Hezbollah’s bombing of the AMIA Jewish center in Bueno Aires, Argentina, on July 18, 1994.David Daoud, “Profile of Deputy Commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force Mohammad Hejazi,” United Against Nuclear Iran, April 1, 2020, https://www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com/blog/profile-of-deputy-commander-of-irgcs-quds-force-mohammad-hejazi; Yehudit Barsky, “Terrorism Briefing: Hezbollah The ‘Party of God,’” American Jewish Committee, May 2003, https://web.archive.org/web/20131029184824/http://www.ajc.org/atf/cf/%7B42D75369-D582-4380-8395-D25925B85EAF%7D/Hizballah_052003.pdf. Then serving as intelligence and security adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Hejazi allegedly attended a planning meeting with Khamenei, Iranian President ‘Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Intelligence Minister Ali Fallahian, and Foreign Affairs Minister ‘Ali Akbar Velayati.Yehudit Barsky, “Terrorism Briefing: Hezbollah The ‘Party of God,’” American Jewish Committee, May 2003, https://web.archive.org/web/20131029184824/http://www.ajc.org/atf/cf/%7B42D75369-D582-4380-8395-D25925B85EAF%7D/Hizballah_052003.pdf; Ze’ev Schiff, “How Iran Planned the Buenos Aires Blast,” Haaretz (Tel Aviv), March 18, 2003, https://www.haaretz.com/1.4686654.

On March 12, 1998, Khamenei appointed Hejazi as head of the Basij militia and tasked Hejazi with forming a 20-million-man army.“Leader Appoints New Commander of Basij Force,” Tehran Times, March 14, 1998, https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/8537/Leader-Appoints-New-Commander-of-Basij-Force. Hejazi transformed the Basij into an integral part of Iran’s internal security apparatus. Under Hejazi’s leadership, the Basij supported the creation of Ansar-e Hezbollah and other vigilante groups loyal to the regime. In July 1999, Hejazi commanded the Basij’s Sarallah Base and led Sarallah fighters and Ansar-e Hezbollah in killing dozens of student protesters following the closure of the reformist newspaper Salam.Ali Alfoneh, “Who Is Mohammad Hossein-Zadeh Hejazi, the New Deputy Commander of Iran’s Qods Force?,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, January 22, 2020, https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/who-is-mohammad-hossein-zadeh-hejazi-the-new-deputy-commander-of-irans-qods.

The Basij became politically influential under Hejazi’s command. In 2003, Hejazi declared the Basij members had great “political insight” and would encourage others to vote in upcoming elections.Mehr News Agency, “Basijis to Exhibit Political Insight During Election,” Tehran Times, November 24, 2003, https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/108220/Basijis-to-Exhibit-Political-Insight-During-Election. In 2005, Khamenei allegedly ordered the commanders of the IRGC to instruct their soldiers to vote for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in that year’s presidential elections. In 2009, Hejazi reportedly oversaw the suppression of protesters angry over Ahmadinejad’s reelection.David Daoud, “Profile of Deputy Commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force Mohammad Hejazi,” United Against Nuclear Iran, April 1, 2020, https://www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com/blog/profile-of-deputy-commander-of-irgcs-quds-force-mohammad-hejazi. That June, Hejazi forbade Iran’s Ministry of Health from disclosing the medical records of anybody injured during the protests. The European Union viewed that letter as evidence of a coverup and sanctioned Hejazi in 2011, accusing the Sarallah Corps of playing a “central role” in putting down the protests.“COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 1002/2011 of 10 October 2011 implementing Article 12(1) of Regulation (EU) No 359/2011 concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons, entities and bodies in view of the situation in Iran,” Official Journal of the European Union, October 12, 2011, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:267:0001:0006:EN:PDF#page=3.

Hejazi led the Basij until May 2008, when he was promoted to deputy commander of the IRGC.“Leader appoints new IRGC deputy commander,” Tehran Times, May 24, 2008, https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/169333/Leader-appoints-new-IRGC-deputy-commander. He served in that role until he was appointed deputy commander of Armed Forces General Staff in October 2009.Ali Alfoneh, “Who Is Mohammad Hossein-Zadeh Hejazi, the New Deputy Commander of Iran’s Qods Force?,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, January 22, 2020, https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/who-is-mohammad-hossein-zadeh-hejazi-the-new-deputy-commander-of-irans-qods. In August 2019, the Israel Defense Forces alleged Hejazi was in Lebanon overseeing Hezbollah’s development of precision guided missiles.“Hezbollah’s Precision Guided Missile Project,” Israel Defense Forces, August 2019, https://www.idf.il/en/minisites/hezbollah/hezbollahs-precision-guided-missile-project/; Maryam Sinaiee, “New Vice-Commander Of Iran's Qods Force Signifies Khamenei’s Message Of ‘Fighters Without Borders,’” Radio Farda, January 20, 2020, https://en.radiofarda.com/a/new-vice-commander-of-iran-s-qods-signifies-khamenei-message-of-fighters-without-borders-/30387595.html.

On January 3, 2020, a U.S. airstrike in Iraq killed Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani. IRGC commander Hossein Salami promoted Quds Force deputy commander Ismail Ghaani to the position of commander of the Quds Force.Sune Engel Rasmussen, “Iran Appoints Commander to Succeed General Killed in Air Strike,” Wall Street Journal, January 3, 2020, https://www.wsj.com/articles/iran-appoints-commander-to-succeed-general-killed-in-air-strike-11578050590. On January 20, Salami promoted Hejazi to the role of deputy commander of the Quds Force.Ali Alfoneh, “Who Is Mohammad Hossein-Zadeh Hejazi, the New Deputy Commander of Iran’s Qods Force?,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, January 22, 2020, https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/who-is-mohammad-hossein-zadeh-hejazi-the-new-deputy-commander-of-irans-qods. Following Soleimani’s death, Khamenei referred to the Quds Force as “fighters without borders.”Parisa Hafezi, “Iran’s Khamenei stands by Guards after unrest over downed plane,” Reuters, January 17, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-khamenei/irans-khamenei-stands-by-guards-after-unrest-over-downed-plane-idUSKBN1ZG0O8. Radio Farda concluded that Hejazi’s assignment to the Quds Force represented Khamenei’s newly “openly expressed strategy of keeping the war with the United States and Israel outside Iranian borders.”Maryam Sinaiee, “New Vice-Commander Of Iran's Qods Force Signifies Khamenei’s Message Of ‘Fighters Without Borders,’” Radio Farda, January 20, 2020, https://en.radiofarda.com/a/new-vice-commander-of-iran-s-qods-signifies-khamenei-message-of-fighters-without-borders-/30387595.html.

On April 18, 2021, the IRGC announced Hejazi had died of heart disease at the age of 65. The IRGC gave no further details of his death.“High-ranking Iranian general dies of heart disease at 65,” Associated Press, April 19, 2021, https://apnews.com/article/iran-middle-east-lebanon-syria-iraq-1e44c01fedd6b62b2256666a2ade83dc. According to the IRGC, Hejazi was actively fighting against ISIS and “Takfiri terrorists,” implying he was involved in operations in Iraq and Syria.“Top Iranian General Hejazi Dies At 65,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, April 19, 2021, https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-general-hejazi-dies-/31210721.html.