In pictures: The FBI adds an Iranian Revolutionary Guard member to its most wanted list and reveals details

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced the addition of a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to the list of the most wanted persons in terrorism cases, revealing details about him and the role he plays. This was stated in a statement by the FBI office in Washington on Tuesday, which said: “Today (Tuesday), the FBI added Shahram Poursafi, a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, to the list of the most wanted terrorists, and also issued posters requesting information about three of his associates.

The allegations indicate that, between October 2021 and April 2022, Poursafi sought to orchestrate the assassination of former US government officials. The statement added: “According to court documents, Poursafi, also known as Mehdi Rezaei, allegedly attempted to hire an individual to carry out the assassination operations, likely in retaliation for the January 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

Working for the Quds Force, Boursafi attempted to pay individuals within the United States $300,000 to carry out these assassinations. In a complaint filed in August 2022, Boursafi was charged with “using interstate commerce facilities to solicit murder for hire, as well as providing or attempting to provide material support for a cross-border assassination plot.”

The statement went on to mention that the FBI issued “three posters requesting information about individuals who are alleged to be officials in the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard,” namely: Mohammad Reza Ansari, Abolfazl Ali Zadeh, and Mohammad Hossein Shamoradi Zadeh. Both Ali Zadeh and Shamoradi Zadeh hold the position of battalion commanders in the Imam Ali Brigades of the Basij Forces, and they are allegedly involved in planning deadly operations. Ansari holds the position A deputy in Unit 840, he provided support to Quds Force operations in Syria.

He, in cooperation with Poursafy, allegedly planned an attempted assassination of two former US government officials.” The statement noted that in June 2023, “the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Ansari and Poursafy for their work for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force. The U.S. State Department’s ‘Rewards for Justice’ program is offering a reward of up to $20 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Poursafy.”

The statement highlighted that "the Iranian Revolutionary Guard consists of five branches: the Air Force, the Ground Forces, the Navy, the Basij Forces, and the Quds Force. The Quds Force includes a unit known as Unit 840, which is responsible for developing and planning lethal operations. Before his death in April 2026, Asghar Bagheri, the commander in the Quds Force, was in command of this unit."