Mr. Afshar was born in Mashhad in 1951 and graduated from Aravi School in his hometown, and later earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the highly prestigious Sharif University of Technology in Tehran.
Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, he was detained by the Shah’s Security Forces (SAVAK) on charges of political activity and spent four months in prison. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, he was one of the students who supported Imam Khomeini, the founding father of the revolution.
Afshar held a number of senior positions during and after the Iran-Iraq War, including Deputy Chief of the Revolutionary Guards’ Central Staff and Revolutionary Guards Spokesperson, and Commander of the Basij Volunteer Forces from 1989 to 1997.
From 1997 to 2000, he served as Rector of Imam Hossein University. His career also included senior positions at the Armed Forces Chief of Staff, the Foundation for the Preservation and Publication of Sacred Defense Values, and the Department of the Interior.
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