Hassan Firouzabadi

Sayyid Hassan Aghaee Firouzabadi (Persian: حسن فيروزآبادی; 3 February 1951 – 3 September 2021) was an Iranian military officer. He served as the Chief-of-Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces—the most senior military authority in Iran—from 1989 to 2016.[4] After that, he was appointed as a senior military advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran[5] and a member of the Expediency Discernment Council.[6]

Sardar

Hassan Firouzabadi
Firouzabadi in January 2019
Birth nameSeyyed Hassan Aghaei Firouzabadi[1]
Born(1951-02-03)3 February 1951
Mashhad, Iran[1]
Died3 September 2021(2021-09-03) (aged 70)
Tehran, Iran
Buried
Imam Reza Shrine
AllegianceIran
Service/branchBasij
Years of service1989–2016
RankMajor General
Commands heldChief-of-Staff of Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Battles/wars
Awards

Early life

Firouzabadi was born on 3 February 1951[1] in the town of Malabad, in Mashhad, Iran, to religious parents who came from Yazd.[7] He studied at the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, graduating in 1980, one year after the Iranian Revolution.[8] He then took a part in the Iran–Iraq War and rose in prominence. He was in charge of the industrial war engineering, and the committee for the construction of surface-to-surface missiles. After the end of the war on 25 October 1989, Ali Khamenei appointed him head of the General Staff.[8]

Military career

Before he was appointed the chief-of-staff, Firouzabadi had no previous military experience from either the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), or the Islamic Republic of Iran Army (Artesh), and he went by the title Basiji.[9] On 17 April 1995, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei granted him the rank of major general, practically the highest military rank available in Iran.[10] According to a report published by The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, he was credited with "leading the IRGC from a war-ravaged organization to a hybrid conventional-asymmetric military force overshadowing the still-lagging Artesh.[11] He also oversaw a growing military industry that produced a wide range of products amid international sanctions, from ammunition to space rockets".[4]

Controversy

Following the death of Kavous Seyed-Emami in custody in 2018, Firouzabadi claimed that “Several years ago, some individuals came to Iran... In their possessions were a variety of reptile desert species like lizards, chameleons... We found out that their skin attracts atomic waves and that they were nuclear spies who wanted to find out where do we (inside the Islamic Republic of Iran) have uranium mines, and where are we engaged in atomic activities”. Several scientists dismissed his remarks as absurd.[12][13]

In October 2011, he was banned from entering the European Union for alleged violation of human rights.[14]

Political positions

Firouzabadi expressed anti-American sentiment, rejecting a letter sent to him by the US Congress and said that "the scourge of Americans were a threat to the Revolution."[15][16]

Firouzabadi was a supporter of former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's ideology and called on the Higher National Defense University to add to his ideology.[17] Defending the continuation of Ahmadinejad's presidency, he also said in a speech that provoked criticism from most of the presidential candidates: "Now some believe that the distance that groups of politicians have created between the government and the people has been successful and has been able to attract the attention of the people. Therefore, in this presidential election, they can nominate a new presidential candidate and end the issue of Ahmadinejad. But this does not happen, they make mistakes". He further criticized former president Mohammad Khatami.[18] However, towards the end of Ahmadinejad's presidency, he became critical of Ahmadinejad's positions.[19][20]

Death

According to media reports on 3 September 2021, Firouzabadi died at the age of 70 from COVID-19, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran.[21][22][23][24] A funeral attended by senior military commanders was held in Tehran on Saturday 4 September.[25][26]

See also

References
  1. Treasury Sanctions Two Senior Iranian Officials for Serious Human Rights Abuses, U.S. Department of Treasury, 13 December 2011, retrieved 15 October 2017
  2. Poursafa, Mahdi (20 January 2014). گزارش فارس از تاریخچه نشان‌های نظامی ایران، از «اقدس» تا «فتح»؛ مدال‌هایی که بر سینه سرداران ایرانی نشسته است [From "Aghdas" to "Fath": Medals resting on the chest of Iranian Serdars]. Fars News (in Persian). Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  3. تصویب نامه درخصوص اعطای نشان عالی «استقلال» به آقای سیدحسن فیروزآبادی [The letter about endowing the Excellent Order of Independence to Mr. Hassan Firouzabadi]. Iranian Parliament (in Persian). 12 November 2008. Archived from the original on 3 September 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  4. "Who Is Iran's New Armed Forces Chief of Staff?", The Washington Institute, 5 July 2016, retrieved 1 March 2017
  5. "Leader's Top Military Aide: Foreign Inspection of Iran's Military Site Not Included in N. Deal", Fars News Agency, 14 August 2017, 4058702, retrieved 15 October 2017
  6. "New Expediency Council head, members appointed", Mehr News Agency, 14 August 2017, 4058702, retrieved 15 October 2017
  7. "زندگینامه: سید حسن فیروزآبادی (۱۳۲۹- ۱۴۰۰)" (in Persian). Hamshah Online. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  8. "صراحت سرلشکر" (in Persian). 2 April 2018. Archived from the original on 2 April 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  9. Saeid Golkar (June 2013), "The Islamic Republic's Art of Survival: Neutralizing Domestic and Foreign Threats", The Washington Institute for Near East Policy (Policy Focus), p. 10
  10. "The Ceremont to Grant the Rank of Major General to Dr. Seyyed Hassan Firouzabadi", leader.ir (in Persian), 17 April 1995, retrieved 5 October 2017
  11. Nadimi, Farzin (5 July 2016). "Who Is Iran's New Armed Forces Chief of Staff?". Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  12. Maza, Cristina (13 February 2018). "Iran Says Enemies Used Lizards to Spy on Nuclear Program". Newsweek.
  13. Ghose, Tia (13 February 2018). "No, Iran, Lizard 'Spies' Can't Detect Uranium". Live Science.
  14. "COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) No 359/2011 of 12 April 2011" (PDF). European Union Council. 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  15. Mahmoudi, Alborz (15 December 2008), "Sardar Warning to Larijani", retrieved online on 13 March 2009 from Day online (in Persian)
  16. Saffari, Esfandiar (7 July 2008), "We are closing the Strait of Hormuz", online retrieved on 13 March 2009.
  17. Ahadi, Hamid (14 October 2008), "Codify Ahmadinejad's Thoughts", retrieved online on 13 March 2009.
  18. "حمایت رئيس ستاد كل نيروهای مسلح از آقای احمدی نژاد" [Support for Mr. Ahmadinejad, Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces]. Fararu News Agency (in Persian). 28 February 2009. Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  19. "انتقاد فیروز آبادی از اقدام احمدی‌نژاد و مشایی" (in Persian). Tabnak Agency. 15 April 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  20. "واکنش سرلشکر فیروزآبادی به اظهارات اخیر احمدی‌نژاد در خوزستان" (in Persian). YJC News. 2 May 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  21. "Long-Serving Former Iran Chief Of Staff Dies Of Covid". Iran International. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  22. "Iran supreme leader's senior military advisor Firouzabadi dies". Al Arabiya English. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  23. "Hassan Firouzabadi, former Iran's armed forces chief of staff, dies". Tehran Times. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  24. "Former Iran army chief dies of Covid-19: reports". France 24. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  25. "Ayatollah Khamenei offers condolences on passing of senior general". Tehran Times. 4 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  26. "(تصاویر) تشییع پیکر سرلشکر فیروزآبادی" [Funeral of General Firoozabadi (Images).] (in Persian). fararu.com. 5 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
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