List of Iranian commanders in the Iran–Iraq War

This is a list of commanders of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran during the Iran–Iraq War (1980–88).

Leaders[]

Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces

Abolhassan Banisadr (Start of War – 10 June 1981)
Ruhollah Khomeini (10 June 1981 – End of War)
- Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, acted as the de facto commander-in-chief since mid-1980s^[1] and was later officially appointed as the deputy commander-in-chief on 2 June 1988^[2]
  - Hassan Rouhani, served as deputy to second-in-command since 1988^[3]

Military commanders[]

Strategic level[]

Islamic Republic of Iran Army[]

Chief-of-Staff

Brig. Gen. Valiollah Fallahi (KIA) (Start of War – 29 September 1981)^[4]
Brig. Gen. Qasem-Ali Zahirnejad (1 October 1981 – 25 October 1984)^[4]
Col. Esmaeil Sohrabi (25 October 1984 – 1988)^[4]
Brig. Gen. Ali Shahbazi (1988 – End of War)^[5]

Ground Force

Brig. Gen. Qasem-Ali Zahirnejad (Start of War – 1 October 1981)^[4]
Col. Ali Sayyad Shirazi (1 October 1981 – Spring 1986)^[4]^[6]
Col. Hossein Hassani-Sadi (Spring 1986 – End of War)^[6]

Air Force

Col. Javad Fakoori (KIA) (Start of War – 29 September 1981)^[4]
Col. Mohammad-Hossein Moinpour (2 October 1981 – 25 November 1983)^[4]
Col. Houshang Seddigh (25 November 1983 – 1986)^[4]^[5]
Col. Mansour Sattari (1986 – End of War)^[5]

Navy

Cpt. Bahram Afzali (Start of War – 30 April 1983)^[4]
Cpt. Esfandiar Hosseini (30 April 1983 – 25 June 1985)^[4]
Cpt. Mohammad-Hossein Malekzadegan (25 June 1985 – End of War)^[4]

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps[]

Commander-in-Chief

(Start of War –)^[7]
Mohsen Rezaei (11 September 1981 – End of War)^[4]

General Staff

Alireza Afshar (November 1984 – )^[4]
Mohammad Forouzandeh (– End of War)

Basij

(Start of War – December 1981)^[4]
Ahmad Salek (December 1981 –)^[4]
Mohammad-Ali Rahmani (16 February 1984 – End of War)^[4]

Ground Force

Yahya Rahim Safavi (1985–)
Ali Shamkhani (May 1986 –)^[4]

Air Force

Akbar Rafan (1985 – End of War)

Navy

Hossein Alaei (1985 – End of War)

Operational level[]

Islamic Republic of Iran Army[]

Division commanders

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps[]

Division commanders

Ministers[]

Minister of Defence

Mostafa Chamran (Start of War – 29 October 1980)^[4]
Col. Javad Fakoori (–September 1980)^[4]
Col. Mousa Namjoo (KIA) (17–29 September 1981)^[4]
Col. Mohammad Salimi (October 1981 – October 1985)^[4]
Col. Mohammad Hossein Jalali (October 1985 – End of War)^[4]

Minister of Revolutionary Guards

Mohsen Rafighdoost (November 1982 – End of War)^[8]

References[]

^ Forozan, Hesam (2015), The Military in Post-Revolutionary Iran: The Evolution and Roles of the Revolutionary Guards, Routledge, p. 81, ISBN 978-1-317-43074-2
^ David Lea (2001), A Political Chronology of the Middle East, Psychology Press, p. 59, ISBN 978-1-85743-115-5
^ Sveshnikova, Yulia; Roknifard, Amir (December 2013). "Iranian Election Results: Change on Horizon?". Security Index: A Russian Journal on International Security. 19 (4): 71–76. doi:10.1080/19934270.2013.846083.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v Nikola B. Schahgaldian, Gina Barkhordarian (March 1987), The Iranian Military Under the Islamic Republic (PDF), RAND, ISBN 978-0-8330-0777-3, retrieved 15 January 2017
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Razoux, Pierre (2015). The Iran-Iraq War. Harvard University Press. Appendix: Iranian High Command. ISBN 978-0-674-91571-8.
^ ^a ^b Zabir, Sepehr (2011). The Iranian Military in Revolution and War (RLE Iran D) (Reprint. ed.). London: Routledge. p. 244–246. ISBN 978-0-415-61785-7.
^ Johnson, Henry (Spring 2014). Islamic Nationalism: Tracing Paradoxes in the Evolution of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Senior thesis). Claremont McKenna College. p. 18.
^ Rahnema, Ali (February 20, 2013) [December 15, 2008]. "ii. Jamʿiyat-e Moʾtalefa and the Islamic Revolution". JAMʿIYAT-E MOʾTALEFA-YE ESLĀMI i. Hayʾathā-ye Moʾtalefa-ye Eslāmi 1963–79. Encyclopædia Iranica. Fasc. 5. Vol. XIV. New York City: Bibliotheca Persica Press. pp. 483–500. Retrieved March 15, 2016.

[1] Forozan, Hesam (2015), The Military in Post-Revolutionary Iran: The Evolution and Roles of the Revolutionary Guards, Routledge, p. 81, ISBN 978-1-317-43074-2

[2] David Lea (2001), A Political Chronology of the Middle East, Psychology Press, p. 59, ISBN 978-1-85743-115-5

[3] Sveshnikova, Yulia; Roknifard, Amir (December 2013). "Iranian Election Results: Change on Horizon?". Security Index: A Russian Journal on International Security. 19 (4): 71–76. doi:10.1080/19934270.2013.846083.

[R-4] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v Nikola B. Schahgaldian, Gina Barkhordarian (March 1987), The Iranian Military Under the Islamic Republic (PDF), RAND, ISBN 978-0-8330-0777-3, retrieved 15 January 2017

[PR-5] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Razoux, Pierre (2015). The Iran-Iraq War. Harvard University Press. Appendix: Iranian High Command. ISBN 978-0-674-91571-8.

[Z-6] Zabir, Sepehr (2011). The Iranian Military in Revolution and War (RLE Iran D) (Reprint. ed.). London: Routledge. p. 244–246. ISBN 978-0-415-61785-7.

[7] Johnson, Henry (Spring 2014). Islamic Nationalism: Tracing Paradoxes in the Evolution of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Senior thesis). Claremont McKenna College. p. 18.

[8] Rahnema, Ali (February 20, 2013) [December 15, 2008]. "ii. Jamʿiyat-e Moʾtalefa and the Islamic Revolution". JAMʿIYAT-E MOʾTALEFA-YE ESLĀMI i. Hayʾathā-ye Moʾtalefa-ye Eslāmi 1963–79. Encyclopædia Iranica. Fasc. 5. Vol. XIV. New York City: Bibliotheca Persica Press. pp. 483–500. Retrieved March 15, 2016.

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