Who Is Amir Hatami, The Newly Appointed Army Chief of Iran?
Commander-in-Chief Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has appointed Major General Amir Hatami as Chief Commander of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
General Hatami has served as Defense Minister during 2013-2021. He served as Iran’s Minister of Defense from 2017 to 2021, becoming the first Artesh officer to hold the post in over two decades.
He is a graduate of the Imam Ali Officers’ Academy and the National Defense University.
In the official decree, Ayatollah Khamenei cited Hatami’s “dedication, competence, and experience” as the basis for the appointment, calling for a “transformative and revolutionary approach” under his leadership.
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“With the Army’s vast pool of capable and faithful personnel, and the experience gained during the Sacred Defense and beyond, it is expected that under your command, efforts to enhance combat readiness, strengthen spiritual and ideological foundations, improve personnel welfare, and boost cooperation with other branches of the Armed Forces will accelerate,” the decree stated.
The Leader also expressed appreciation for outgoing commander Major General Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi, praising his “sincere and valuable efforts” during his tenure.
In the wake of the assassination of General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, Ayatollah Khamenei appointed Major General Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.
The leadership change was prompted by the recent killing of top Iranian commanders, including Mohammad Bagheri and Hossein Salami, in a major Israeli air‑strike.
Notably, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, codename for the Israeli military offensive launched on 13 June 2025, aimed at neutralizing Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and military capabilities. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has claimed that Iran is nearing the point of no return in the race for nuclear weapons, and its attack is to protect itself in the region.
