Ghasemi joined the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (IRGC) in Kharg Island in 1979. He participated in the Iran-Iraq War. After the war, he joined the Khatam Anbia troops in Bushehr, the Guards' engineering and construction company. In 1996, he was named head of the IRGC navy's Nouh base. Ghasemi became deputy commander of the troops in 2001.