Mohammad Reza Ansari, (born on November 22, 1975,

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

) also known as Barkirsaghi and Mostafa Naseri, is an Iranian commander in

Unit 840 Unit 840 is a covert operational unit within Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, responsible for conducting clandestine operations outside of Iran. The unit has been linked to assassination plots, terrorist activities, and de ...

within the

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also known as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, is a multi-service primary branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, Iranian Armed Forces. It was officially established by Ruhollah Khom ...

Quds Force The Quds Force () is one of five branches of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It specializes in unconventional warfare and military intelligence operations. U.S. Army's Iraq War General Stanley McChrystal describes the Quds Fo ...

(IRGC-QF), a unit implicated in covert operations abroad, including planning and conducting intelligence and assassinations against Iranian dissidents and foreign nationals in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, and

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

Operations

Under Ansari's leadership, the unit has reportedly expanded its operations across multiple regions, including the United States, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. Intelligence reports suggest that Unit 840 has played a key role in planning and executing lethal actions, often targeting individuals perceived as threats to the Iranian regime. These operations align with the broader objectives of the IRGC-QF, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

, and

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

due to its involvement in international terrorism and destabilization efforts. Most notable incident being his failed operation to assassinate former US officials

Mike Pompeo Michael Richard Pompeo (; born December 30, 1963) is an American retired politician who served in the First presidency of Donald Trump#Administration, first administration of Donald Trump as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) fr ...

and

John Bolton John Robert Bolton (born November 20, 1948) is an American attorney, diplomat, Republican Party (United States), Republican consultant, and political commentator. He served as the 25th United States ambassador to the United Nations from 2005 to ...

, with the help of Shahram Poursafi, who is targeted by the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

. The plot was reportedly in retaliation for the killing of General

Qasem Soleimani Qasem Soleimani (; 11 March 1957 – 3 January 2020) was an Iranian military officer who served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). From 1998 until Assassination of Qasem Soleimani, his assassination by the United States in 2020, h ...

. He is also identified as the mastermind behind a plot to kill UK-based journalists, leading to additional sanctions in January 2024.

Global reach

Ansari's role within the IRGC-QF has drawn significant international scrutiny, leading to sanctions and countermeasures by Western governments. Authorities continue to monitor the activities of Unit 840 as part of broader efforts to counter Iranian state-sponsored attacks on dissidents and foreign officials.

References

{{Reflist Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers Quds Force personnel Iranian individuals subject to U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctions Year of birth missing (living people) Living people

Operations

Global reach

See also

References