Mohsen Chizari

Personal details:

55 years old, from Tehran.

Lives in the Mahalati neighbourhood.

Passport:

D9014601.

N15740673.

Mohsen Chizari is one of the commanders of the Quds Force Syria Corps, and heads its operation and training unit. Chizari previously operated in Iraq,

and carried out joint activity with militias against U.S. forces in the country.

In early 2007, he was detained in Iraq by the U.S. military. He was carrying detailed reports on weapons smuggled to Iraqi militias, including weapons used to attack U.S. soldiers there. In light of Iran's recent efforts to fight I.S. in Syria, the Quds Force may also avail itself of Chizari's past experience there. As a result of Chizari's activity in Syria, the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on him, accusing him of violating human rights and suppressing the Syrian people.

Chizari is one of the commanders of the Syria Corps, which was established in May 2011, about two months after the riots in Syria broke out as part of the Arab Spring.

The IRGC viewed the Arab Spring events in several Arab countries, such as Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen, as a golden opportunity for the Quds Force to intervene and strengthen the "Islamic revolution" in these countries.

As for Syria, the Iranians want to preserve Bashar Assad's regime, given that Iran sees it as a strategic partner in the Iran-Syria-Hezbollah triangle, and an important factor in military assistance to Hezbollah.

The assistance to Syria is provided via the Quds Force, which has sent dozens of mostly high-ranking operatives there to provide military assistance, counsel, training, intelligence gathering and more. The objective of the Syria Corps in the field is to coordinate all Iran's military assistance for Assad's regime.