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Ali Sayad Shirazi

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Ali Sayyad Shirazi
Shirazi in his uniform pictured during the Iran-Iraq War
Born(1944-06-13)13 June 1944
Kaboudgonbad, Khorasan, Imperial State of Iran
Died10 April 1999(1999-04-10) (aged 54)
Tehran, Iran
Cause of deathAssassination
AllegiancePahlavi Iran Imperial State of Iran (1964–1979)
Iran Islamic Republic of Iran (1979–1999)
Service / branchIranian Army
(1964–1989)

General Staff
(1989–1999)
Years of service1964–1999
RankMajor General[1]
Lieutenant general (posthumously)
CommandsGround Force
Battles / wars
Awards Order of Fath (two 1st Classes)[2]

Ali Sayad Shirazi (Persian: علی صیاد شیرازی, 13 June 1944[3][4] – 10 April 1999) was an Iranian military officer. He served as commander of the Iranian Ground Forces during the Iran–Iraq War and was a key military figure during the war. He was assassinated by Mojahedin-e Khalq[5] in 1999 while serving as the deputy chief of the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff.

Early life

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Shirazi was born in Dargaz, Kabud Gonbad Rural District, Iran on 13 June 1944 and was of Afshar descent. His ancestors being from Isthabanat and Neyriz in Fars Province.[6] His grandfather, setting out to Khorasan, settled in Dargaz. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Mashhad, where they lived for 2 years and later moved to the region of Mazandaran, living in the cities of Gorgan, Amol and Gonbad Kavous. He graduated from Amirkabir High School in Tehran. His father being a non-commissioned officer in the Iranian military inspired and motivated him to join the Army and in 1964 he joined as a cadet.[7]

Career

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Shirazi was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Artillery and in 1974, he was sent to the United States for further military education. When he returned to Iran he showed opposition to the policies of the Pahlavi government and participated in some street demonstrations. He then joined the opposition movement against the Shah. During the Iranian Revolution, he served in the 64th Infantry Division in Urmia, in northwestern Iran.[8] He was later awarded the rank of lieutenant general.[7]

During the Iran–Iraq War, Shirazi became one of the most important generals of Iran. In 1981, Iran's supreme leader, Ruhollah Khomeini, appointed him commander of the Iranian Army. In 1982, he led the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Basij paramilitaries to victory in Operation Undeniable Victory. This was the first time Iran was able to defeat Iraq in a major battle, as Iranian forces broke through Iraq's "impenetrable" defense lines and expelled Iraqi forces from the Dezful-Shush area. This operation is considered by many as the turning point in the war.

In 1986, he was named member of the Supreme Defense Council.[9] However, three weeks after this appointment Shirazi was relieved of his post as commander of the ground forces.[9]

In July 1988, the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) with the help of Saddam Hussein invaded western Iran and battled Iranian forces for Kermanshah. Iran's counter offensive, Operation Mersad (led by Shirazi), defeated MEK forces.[7] He also led other successful military operations against Iraq, such as, Operation Zafar 7; and Operation Nasr-4. In 1989, Shirazi was awarded the highest military distinction in the Iranian armed forces, the Fath (Conquest) medal.[citation needed]

When the war concluded, Shirazi was not promoted to major general (unlike his counterparts), but was instead given various staff assignments.[10]

Controversy

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Ali Sayad Shirazi (right) with Mohsen Rezaee (left), pictured sometime in the mid-1980s

in July 1986, A clash and disagreement over what military strategy to be adopted in the Iran-Iraq War emerged between Shirazi and Mohsen Rezaee, the commander of the IRGC at the time.[9] When this rivalry became public, the supreme leader met them in his residence on 19 July 1986 and urged them to "seek unity", telling them "You must endeavor, not to think in terms of being members of the Armed Forces or those of the Guards Corps or of the Basij forces. ... We must understand that if there were to be any disputes among you ... not only are we doomed here and now, but we also are guilty before God." It remains unclear why Mohsen Rezaee, who had little military experience, was in a technical dispute with a senior general.[9]

Ali Sayyad Shirazi (with Mohsen Rezai, and Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani) was seen as among "the most hawkish of Iran’s military and civilian leaders, and those who most clearly advocated for continuing the war into Iraq."[11]

Assassination

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On 10 April 1999, 6:45 local time, Shirazi was assassinated outside his house while on his way to work by an MEK assailant. His assassin was disguised as a street sweeper. Ali Khamenei issued a message on Shirazi's martyrdom.[7] Iranian ex-President Khatami described him as "a selfless commander of Islam and honorable son of Iran."[citation needed] A MEK spokesman said that Shirazi had been targeted because for "purging and executing military personnel and for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of child soldiers during the Iran-Iraq War, in which he commanded Iran's ground forces."[12]

Legacy

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Funeral of General Ali Sayad Shirazi

Thousands of people attended his state funeral. Shirazi has had several streets, buildings and military complexes named after him, including a subway station and a highway in Tehran.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Ali Chenar (2 April 2010), "Exploiting Martyrs for Propaganda", Tehran Bureau, PBS, retrieved 5 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). Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  3. ^ زندگینامه شهید صیاد شیرازی (in Persian)
  4. ^ روایت تصویری زندگی «امیر سپهبد شهید علی صیاد شیرازی» (in Persian)
  5. ^ "Iranian General Is Assassinated in Teheran". The New York Times. The Reuters. 11 April 1999. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  6. ^ Martyr Ali Sayad Shiraziijma.ir (in Persian) Archived 4 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ a b c d "Ali Sayed Shirazi". IRIB. Archived from the original on 2 May 2006.
  8. ^ "National security". Pars Times. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  9. ^ a b c d Sick, Gary G. (Spring 1987). "Iran's Quest for Superpower Status". Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  10. ^ "Exploiting Martyrs for Propaganda". PBS.
  11. ^ Afshon Ostovar (2016). Vanguard of the Imam: Religion, Politics, and Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Oxford University Press; 1 edition (1 April 2016). p. 254. ISBN 978-0199387892.
  12. ^ "Iranian General Is Assassinated in Teheran". The New York Times. 11 April 1999.
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Media related to Ali Sayyad Shirazi at Wikimedia Commons

Military offices
Preceded by Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces
1981–1986
Succeeded by
New title Vice Chief of the General Staff of Iranian Armed Forces
for Inspection

1989–1999
Vacant
Title next held by
Hedayat Lotfian
Preceded by Deputy Chief of the General Staff of Iranian Armed Forces
1993–1999
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Supreme Leader's Representative
at Supreme National Defence Council

1986–1989
With: Mohsen Rafighdoost
Succeeded by