Who Is Ali Jafari, Architect Of Iran’s ‘Mosaic Defence’ That Took US, Israel By Surprise?

Last Updated:March 13, 2026, 13:03 IST

Iran-US-Israel War: Mosaic Defence is Iranian military's concept to organise the state’s defensive structure into multiple regional and semi-independent layers.

When the United States attacked Iran, maybe it confused it with Venezuela. However, the world is now witnessing an unprecedented retaliation by the Islamic Republic. After US-backed strike by Israel on February 28 that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country is taking revenge, and it is almost impossible for the US and Israeli forces to penetrate country’s ‘Mosaic Defence.’

Mosaic Defence, Iranian military concept to organise the state’s defensive structure into multiple regional and semi-independent layers, is brainchild of Mohammad Ali Jafari, who led Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from 2007 to 2019.

US and Israeli forces launched Operation Epic Fury in Iran on February 28. Along with Khamenei, these strikes with warplanes, drones, and precision missiles IRGC Commander-in-Chief Major General Mohammad Pakpour, Defence Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi, among others prominent figures.

It was expected that Iran will concede to US’ demands, but the repercussion was unexpected and became a global spectacle.

Who Is Ali Jafari? 

Mohammad Ali Jafari is the former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran’s primary instrument for defending the Islamic Republic against internal and external threats.

He was appointed in 2007. The IRGC exerts influence in both Iranian politics and the economy. Under Jafari, the IRGC aided Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his country’s civil war*, and fought alongside Shiite militias against ISIS in Iraq. In 2019, he was replaced by Hossein Salami.

What Is Mosaic Defence?

“Mosaic Defence" is a concept under which the state’s defensive structure is organised into multiple regional and semi-independent layers instead of concentrating power in a single command chain that could be paralysed by a decapitation strike.

Under this model, the IRGC, the Basij, regular army units, missile forces, naval assets, and local command structures form parts of a distributed system. If one part is hit, others keep functioning. If senior leaders are killed, the chain does not collapse. If communications are severed, local units still retain the authority and capacity to act.

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