Hossein Salami (Persian: حسین سلامی; 1960 – 13 June 2025) was an Iranian military officer who served as the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from 2019 until 2025, when he was killed by an Israeli airstrike during the Iran–Israel war.
Salami joined the IRGC during the Iran–Iraq War in 1980, when he was a college student. He rose through the ranks, becoming deputy commander. On 21 April 2019, the supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, appointed him as the new Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC, replacing major general Mohammad Ali Jafari. Salami stood out among the commanders of the IRGC for his fiery and aggressive speeches targeting the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia.
Hossein Salami holds a Ph.D. in National Defense Management from the Iranian Army Command and General Staff College. He also completed specialized missile courses at Malek-Ashtar University.[4][5][6]
Career
After joining the IRGC when the Iran–Iraq War started in 1980, Salami rose through the ranks, becoming deputy commander.[7]
In January 2019, Salami said: "We will fight them on the global level, not just in one spot. Our war is not a local war. We have plans to defeat the world powers".[8]
On 21 April 2019, Ali Khamenei appointed him as the new commander-in-chief of the IRGC, replacing Mohammad Ali Jafari, who had held the post since September 2007.[1][9]
On 7 January 2020, Salami spoke at the funeral of his comrade in arms and IRGC Quds Force subordinate, Qasem Soleimani, who had been killed the previous Friday near Iraq's Baghdad International Airport by a US airstrike: "I say the last word at the beginning: we will take revenge... a revenge that will be tough, strong, decisive and finishing, and will make them regret".[10][11]
We did make a mistake. Some of our compatriots were martyred because of our mistake but it was unintentional... In my all lifetime I haven't been as sorry as much as now. Never... I wish I had been on board and burned with them... May God forgive us and then after that the Iranian people and the families of the victims.[12]
Our information on all of the hits is not complete yet but on that part of the hits that we have accurate, documented and field-related reports show that this operation has been carried out with a success that exceeded the expectation.[13]
One Israeli-Bedouin civilian was critically injured by shrapnel,[14] and 31 others were treated for minor injuries or post-traumatic stress.[15][16][17]
On 10 March 2024, Salami was awarded an Order of Fath medal (also known as the Victory Medal), by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, for "improving the defence, combat, and deterrence power" of the Iranian armed forces.[29] A medal was also awarded to Major General Sayyid Abdolrahim Mousavi, chief commander of the Iranian Army, on the same day.[30]
Sanctions
On 23 December he was included in the list of individuals designated for sanctions under U.N. security council resolution 1737, which imposed sanctions on individuals and entities involved in Iran's ballistic missile program.[31][32]
On 8 April 2019, the US inflicted economic and travel sanctions on the IRGC and organizations, companies, and individuals affiliated with them.[37] Salami said the IRGC was proud that Washington named them as a terrorist group.[1] It was later remarked that Salami was included on the sanctions list as he had been promoted on 21 April commander of the IRGC.[38] On 2021 the European Union imposed sanctions on Salami in connection with his role during the November 2019 protests in Iran. The sanctions were part of a broader response to reported human rights violations during the unrest.[39][40]
On 3 October 2022, Salami was included in a Canadian sanctions list that included 9 Iranian entities, and 25 senior officials. The sanctions came in reaction to the Death of Mahsa Amini, and the persecution of protestors in the widescale protests that ensued.[41] In 2023, the European Union added Major General Hossien Salami to its sanctions list under its Iran to Russia military support framework. As commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Salami leads Iran's Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) program and oversees its international deployment. The EU designation cites his involvement in supplying Iranian UAVs to Russia for its military operations in Ukraine, which according to the report, undermines the country's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence. This sanction was enacted under Council Regulation (EU) 2023/1529 and Decision (CFSP) 2023/1532, which specifically target Iran's military support to Russia.[42][43][44]
Political views and style
Influence
According to The Jerusalem Post, Salami played a significant role in shaping Iran's regional strategy. Under his influence, the Iranian regime expanded its activities across the Middle East, including increased involvement in Iraq, military support for the Syrian Government during the Syrian civil war, and backing for Hezbollah. After 2015 Iran also began supporting the Houthis in Yemen, reportedly providing them with missiles and drones used in attacks against Saudi Arabia.[45]
According to researcher Mehdi Khalaji in 2019, Salami used psychological warfare and relied on "innovatively circumventing economic sanctions, developing Iran's missile programme and maintaining the regime's defiant regional policy".[7] According to The Jerusalem Post, Salami was not only a leading military commander but also a public advocate of Iran's strategic stance. He made several high-profile statements emphasizing Iran's capabilities, including remarks in 2019 and 2021 asserting that Iran could destroy Israel.[46]
Fiery speeches
Salami stood out among the commanders of the IRGC for his fiery and aggressive speeches targeting the US, Israel,[38] and Saudi Arabia.[47] During a speech on Iranian TV in 2019, Salami stated: "We are planning to break America, Israel, and their partners and allies. Our ground forces should cleanse the planet from the filth of their existence".[48]
Israel
In 2014, Salami declared: "We will chase you [Israelis] house to house and will take revenge for every drop of blood of our martyrs in Palestine, and this is the beginning point of Islamic nations awakening for your defeat."[49] In another speech, he stated that "the Zionist regime is slowly being erased from the world," and predicted that "soon, there will be no such thing as the Zionist regime on Planet Earth."[49]
In a 2018 televised interview, Salami stated: "We announce that if Israel takes any action to wage a war against us, it will definitely lead to its own elimination and the freeing of occupied (Palestinian) territories."[50] In September 2019, Salami stated: "This sinister regime must be wiped off the map and this is no longer... a dream (but) it is an achievable goal."[51]
In May 2024, during the Gaza war, Salami said:[53]
Look at the scenes of the crime in Gaza... The United States has targeted the entire Islamic world... Therefore, the path for aggressors to [advance their] dominance must be blocked. Jihad for the liberation of those Muslims who are under the control of the Taghut (polytheists) is the most attractive and most beautiful responsibility and mission for us, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Strategic views
In a 2023 speech at Tehran University he stated: "Iran's deterrence must reach a level where no country dares to threaten us."[54][55]
On 5 March 2020, Salami said, referencing COVID-19, that "We are now dealing with a biological war." He argued that it "may be the product of American biological warfare." This theory was amplified on 8 March by the state-run Press TV.[57]
In 2022, Salami delivered the following speech at the funeral for victims of a mass shooting by ISIS in Iran. Salami told the Mahsa Amini protests, '"Do not come to the streets. Today is the last day of riots," and blamed Israel and the US for stoking the protests.[58]
Death
Salami was killed in an airstrike during the start of the Iran–Israel war, alongside other top military leaders.[59][60][61] The strikes also targeted Iran's nuclear facilities and military installations, on early morning 13 June 2025.[62][61]
Following his death, the IRGC issued a statement declaring: "Without a doubt, Major General Salami was one of the most distinguished commanders of the Islamic Revolution — present on all fronts of scientific, cultural, security, and military jihad."[62]Ahmad Vahidi was announced as his temporary successor.[63]
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Order of Fath (1st class)
