Priyanka Tiwari
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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : In the tense aftermath of the Israeli airstrike on Iran's consulate in Damascus, one voice has emerged with a promise of severe retaliation: Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the highest-ranking military officer in Iran. While he was not a casualty in the attack, his position as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces makes him the central figure in planning Iran's response.
So, who is the man at the helm of one of the most powerful military forces in the Middle East?
Major General Bagheri is not just a soldier; he is a master strategist and the architectural head of Iran's entire military establishment. His role is unique because he commands both of Iran's parallel military arms: the conventional national army (Artesh) and the powerful, ideologically-driven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This dual oversight gives him immense control and influence over the nation's defense doctrine and foreign military operations.
A veteran of the brutal Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, Bagheri's career was forged in conflict. That war, which also claimed the life of his older brother, profoundly shaped his strategic outlook. He joined the IRGC and specialized in military intelligence and operational planning, steadily rising through the ranks not as a frontline combatant, but as a key thinker behind the scenes.
Unlike more public-facing commanders, Bagheri has a reputation as a calculating and disciplined strategist. He is known more for his work on military acquisitions, geostrategy, and long-term planning than for fiery rhetoric—which makes his recent, direct vow for revenge against Israel all the more significant.
Following the strike that killed IRGC commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi, Bagheri declared that the attack would "not go unanswered" and that Iran would choose the time and method for its "maximum damage" retaliation. This places him at the epicenter of the current geopolitical crisis, tasked with balancing the need for a powerful response against the risk of escalating into a full-scale regional war.
As Chief of Staff, Mohammad Bagheri is the ultimate authority on Iran's military capabilities and intentions. In a region on a knife's edge, the world is watching him not just as a general, but as the grand strategist whose decisions will shape the future of the Middle East.
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