Ali Sayad Shirazi

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Major General[1]
Lieutenant general (posthumously)
Commands heldGround Force
Battles/wars
Awards Order of Fath (two 1st Classes)[2]

Ali Sayyad Shirazi (

Iranian Armed Forces General Staff
.

Early life

Shirazi was born in

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

Shirazi was commissioned as a

Urumiyeh.[8] He was later awarded the rank of lieutenant general of the Iranian armed forces.[7]

During the Iran–Iraq War Sayad Shirazi became one of the most important generals of Iran. In 1981,

Operation Undeniable Victory, this was the first time Iran was able to defeat Iraq in a major battle, Iran broke through Iraq's "impenetrable" defense lines and expelled them 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 1988, the

People's Mujahedin of Iran with help of Saddam Hussein invaded West-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

Ali Sayad Shirazi and Mohsen Rezaee

A clash and disagreement over strategy to be adopted in the Iran-Iraq war emerged between Shirazi and

Ayatollah Khomeini 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

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

Main article: Assassination of Ali Sayyad Shirazi

On 10 April 1999, 6:45 local time, Shirazi was assassinated outside his house while on his way to work. His assassin was disguised as a street sweeper.

Khatami described him as "a selfless commander of Islam and honorable son of Iran."[citation needed] A Mujahedeen Khalq spokesman said that Shirazi had been targeted because for "purging and executing military personnel and for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of teen-agers in the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980's, in which he commanded Iran's ground forces."[12]

Legacy

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 highway in Tehran.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Ali Chenar (2 April 2010), "Exploiting Martyrs for Propaganda", Tehran Bureau, PBS, retrieved 5 October 2017
  2. 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. ISBN 978-0199387892
    .
  12. ^ "Iranian General Is Assassinated in Teheran". The New York Times. 11 April 1999.

External links

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
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