The failed appointment of Javad Ghafari as head of the IRGC-IO’s Special Operations Division (4000) is another addition to the mess that already existed in the organization. Javad Ghafari has been appointed commander of the unsuccessful IRGC-IO Special Operations Division (4000), which is responsible for special activity against Israel. Ghafari has replaced Reza Seraj, who was responsible for the series of failures the division experienced over the past year, first and foremost the exposure of the attempted attack in Cyprus in October 2021, and the arrest of the members of the network that was operating in the country. Ghafari is elderly, and causes problems everywhere he goes. He has been exposed, and is therefore considered a security burden. He is married to a young Syrian woman, and has a family abroad. He was ousted from Qods Force and transferred to Division 4000. The rationale was that he would do less harm there, but he is already causing significant damage to Division 4000. Due to a lack of understanding of special operations and management capabilities, he has dismissed almost all the division’s employees, thus losing many capabilities and sources. To make up for this, he is working tirelessly to steal workers and capabilities from other Qods Force and IRGC units. He works closely with a person called Rohallah, his bureau chief, who he knows from their time in Syria, and who works on various missions for him in Syria.
