Mohammad Pakpour, an Iranian military officer who served as commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was reported killed on Feb. 28, 2026, in strikes attributed to Israel and the United States. Iranian authorities had not officially confirmed his death at the time the reports emerged. The cause of death was undisclosed.
Pakpour became the IRGC’s top commander after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed him on June 13, 2025, replacing Hossein Salami. He was tasked with strengthening the force’s capabilities, readiness and internal cohesion, and was reported to have held the post for about 260 days when word of his reported killing circulated.
Before taking the IRGC’s highest command, Pakpour led the IRGC Ground Forces, a position closely tied to domestic security missions. He was associated in profile accounts with counter-terrorism operations in northwestern Iran and security operations in the country’s southeast, work that aligned with the IRGC’s central role in internal security and responses to armed threats inside Iran.
In biographical accounts, Pakpour was described as born in 1961 in Arak and as a veteran of the 1980-88 Iran–Iraq War. He was also described as holding a PhD in Political Geography and was reported to have been promoted to the rank of major general in 2025.
Pakpour’s public legacy is most closely tied to his brief tenure leading the IRGC and his earlier command responsibilities focused on internal security and counter-terror operations.