Mohammad Reza Naqdi
Mohammad Reza Naqdi | |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | Shams[1] |
Born | c. 1952 (age 71–72) or 1961 (age 62–63)[1] Najaf, Iraq or Tehran, Iran[1] |
Allegiance |
|
Years of service | 1981–present |
Rank | Brigadier General |
Unit |
|
Commands held | Basij |
Battles/wars |
Mohammad Reza Naqdi (also spelled "Naghdi"; Persian: محمدرضا نقدی) is an Iranian military officer who is a senior officer in the IRGC.
Background
According to the biography published by the semi-official Fars News Agency, Naqdi was born in March 1961 in a middle-class religious family in Shapour neighbourhood of Tehran. Aging 16, he enrolled in University of Guilan in 1977 and co-founded its Anjoman-e Eslami. He helped founding Jihad of Construction in June 1979, before joining the Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Unit.[3]
The Majalla claims that Naqdi is an Iraqi national with Iranian and Persian origins, son of Ali Akbar Thamahniy Shams, who was expelled in 1980 among convoys of Moaveds and was placed in the city of Naqadeh with his family. He was allegedly affiliated with the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq.[2]
Career
Earlier in his career Naqdi served as the Iranian Police Force's Counter-Intelligence Chief
Naqdi was appointed by
2009 protests
On 14 February 2011 Naqdi was quoted by the semi-official
Two weeks later on 23 February 2011, the
Views
In an interview which aired on
In an interview which aired on Al Manar TV on 16 September 2012 (as translated by
After the Supreme leader of Iran ayatollah Ali Khamenei banned the import of British and US vaccines against COVID-19 in January 2021, General Naqdi commented that the ayatollah "does not recommend the injection of any foreign vaccine", because the genetic material (mRNA) it contains instructs cells to produce proteins.[16]
References
- ^ a b c "Treasury Designates Tehran Prosecutor General, Basij Commander for Human Rights Abuses in Iran". U.S. Department of the Treasury. 23 February 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ^ a b c d "The Commander of the Basij". The Majalla. 11 January 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ^ نگاهي به كارنامه و سوابق اجرايي رئيس سازمان بسيج مستضعفين (in Persian), Fars News Agency, 7 October 2009, archived from the original on 4 March 2016, retrieved 1 December 2016
- ^ Journalism in Iran: from mission to profession, Hossein Shahidi, 2007, page 88
- ^ a b Iran Military Moves Could Provide Greater Muscle Against Critics, RFERL 8 October 2009 Golnaz Esfandiari
- ^ Selected events in the Middle East and North Africa from January to June 1999, Annual report updates, AI Index: POL 10/05/99
- ^ "The Commander of the Basij". The Majalla. 11 June 2010. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ quote from "Mohsen Sazagara, an exiled cofounder of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) who has since fallen out of favor with Iran's political leadership." RFERL 8 October 2009
- ^ Saeed Kamali Dehghan (14 February 2011). "Iran protests see reinvigorated activists take to the streets in thousands". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
- ^ Thousands demonstrate in Iran despite ban, Jay Deshmukh (AFP) 14 February 2011
- ^ Departments of the Treasury and State Announce Designations for Human Rights Abuses in Iran, state.gov, 23 February 2011
- ^ U.S. Hits Iranian Officials With Sanctions Over Rights Abuses
- ^ Iranian Basij Commander General Mohammad Reza Naqdi: If Israel Attacks Iran, It Will Be the "Last Stupid Act in Its History", MEMRITV, Clip No. 3458 (transcript), 28 May 2012.
- MEMRI, Clip No. 3581 (transcript), 16 September 2012.
- ^ "Naqdi threatens Israel". MehrNews. Archived from the original on 26 January 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
- ^ "Iran's top leader bans corona vaccines from US, Britain". The Times of India. 8 January 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.