Position: Unit 400 of Quds Force.

Role: “Hassan Zabouri Nejad” (most likely cover name). He is an important figure in the transfers of equipment and ammunition from Iran to Iraq. Zabouri Nejad has been taking advantage of his extensive connections with Iranian and Iraqi labor parties for the benefit of weapons transfers from Iran to Iraq.

He managed cooperation with other Quds Force units that deals with supply and logistics of weapons and military equipment via smuggling operations such as Unit 190 and Unit 700.

The name of Zabouri Nejad, also known as “Engineer Mortaza”, appeared on the sanctions list in March 2020 and later was also identified as one of the managers of “front companies” operating from Baghdad, under the supervision of Hamed Abdulahi – the commander of Unit 400.

One of the front companies he is involved in, “Al Khamael Maritime Services” (AKMS), is an Iraq-based company operating out of Umm Qasr port in which the IRGC-QF has a financial interest. As a representative of AKMS, “Engineer Mortaza” worked to facilitate the entry of Iranian shipments into Iraqi ports for the benefit of the IRGC-QF.

He is also involved in IRGC-QF financial and economic activities between Iran, Iraq, and Syria, including smuggling activities along the Syria/Iraq border. Zabouri Nejad also runs smuggling routes to help Iraqi terrorist group Kata’ib Hezbollah and the IRGC-QF smuggle goods into Iraq from Iran and has assisted Kata’ib Hezbollah in funding the acquisition and transfer of goods out of Iran.

Zabouri Nejad is the Managing Director and a member of the board of directors of Mada’in Novin Traders (MNT), an Iran- and Iraq-based company associated with multiple IRGC-QF officials, including Vali Gholizadeh, who has worked with Zabouri Nejad for the benefit of both AKMS and MNT.
He is connected to smuggling involved the Shiite militias “A-Saib al-Haq” and the “Ansar Allah al-Aufia”.