Former Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Joint Staff.

Became commander of the IRGC navy in August 1997; reportedly appointed Chief of the IRGC Joint Staff in July 2000 and was replaced by Brigadier General Mohammad Hejazi in September 2007; reportedly became head of Imam Hoseyn University (Imam Hussein University of the Revolutionary Guards) in October 2005 and left the university in July 2007; reportedly appointed head of the IRGC Strategic Studies Centre in September 2007; 

Born circa 1961 in Kerman, Iran.

Sanctions

Designated by the U.N. Security Council on March 24, 2007, pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006), as a person linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; subsequently designated by U.N. Security Council resolution 2231 (2015); removed from the U.N. list on October 18, 2023, following the expiration of targeted sanctions contained in resolution 2231.

Listed by the European Union on April 21, 2007, as a person linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; with some exceptions, E.U. member states must freeze assets owned or controlled by the person, directly or indirectly, and prevent assets from being made available to the person; with some exceptions, E.U. member states must also prevent the person's entry into or transit through their territories.

Added on October 25, 2007, to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list maintained by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), freezing the person's assets under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibiting transactions with U.S. parties pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their delivery systems; also designated on October 31, 2017, pursuant to Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism; also subject to the Iranian Financial Sanctions Regulations; foreign parties facilitating transactions for the person or otherwise assisting the person are subject to U.S. sanctions.

Sanctioned by the governments of Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, restricting business and financial transactions with the person and/or freezing the person's assets in those countries.