Hossein Salami is an Iranian military officer, born in 1960. He joined the Revolutionary Guard following the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) and during the conflict, he commanded several air and naval divisions on the western and southern fronts. Salami held various military positions until he was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Guard by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Khamenei, in 2019 after being promoted to the rank of Major General, becoming the eighth leader of the military institution parallel to the Iranian army. His prominence grew after being appointed Deputy Commander of the Revolutionary Guard in 2009 and taking on the role of Assistant Coordinator of the Revolutionary Guard in 2018. He is known for his hostile positions towards the United States and Israel, often seen as the spokesperson for the Revolutionary Guard.
## Birth and Early Life
Hossein Salami was born in 1960 in the village of Vanshan, on the outskirts of Kalaykan city in Isfahan province, central Iran. He is married and has children, but there is little publicly available information about his family. He is the brother of Brigadier General Mohammad Salami, one of the senior commanders in the Iranian army. He grew up in a conservative environment in Kalaykan, where his father's home was located, until he moved to Tehran in 1978 to continue his academic studies. It is known that he memorized the entire Quran at an early age and often cites its verses in his speeches.
## Education
Hossein Salami started attending a primary school in Kalaykan at the age of seven and completed his junior high school education there in 1978. He directly participated in the university entrance exam and was accepted into the mechanical engineering program at "Ilam o Sanat" University in Tehran. After joining the university, he participated in activities related to the Iranian revolution that overthrew the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the following year, and later joined popular committees that helped manage the country's affairs. After the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War in 1980, he left his university studies and joined the Revolutionary Guard from the early days of its formation, initially participating in combat on the western fronts of Iran, particularly in the bordering Kurdistan province adjacent to Iraq, and later moved to the southern and southwestern battlefields, including the Persian Gulf region.
After the war ended in 1988, he returned to university, graduated as an engineer, and furthered his academic studies, obtaining a master's degree in "Defensive Management" from Azad Islamic University.
## Military Career
Following his involvement in the Iranian revolution and joining the Revolutionary Guard, Salami took charge of the air forces in western Iran, specifically in the "Karbala-25" and "Imam Hussein" brigades. He then moved to the naval forces of the Revolutionary Guard, leading the "Noah" naval base and remaining there until the end of the war. In 1992, Salami established the leadership and staff university titled "Davos Course" in Tehran to train specialized military personnel, serving as its head from 1992 to 1996. He then took on the role of Deputy Chief of Operations of the Joint Staff of the Revolutionary Guard until 2005. In that same year, he assumed command of the air force of the Revolutionary Guard until 2009, when he was appointed Deputy Commander of the Revolutionary Guard, holding that position for a full decade until 2019 and also serving on the teaching committee of the "National Defense" University. He was temporarily appointed Assistant Director of Coordination for the Revolutionary Guard from July to September 2018.
## Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Guard
On April 11, 2019, the Supreme Leader of the Iranian revolution, Ali Khamenei, who holds the supreme command of Iran's armed forces, issued a decision promoting General Salami to the rank of Major General and appointing him as the Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Guard, replacing Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari. The text of the decision stated, "Considering your qualifications and valuable experiences in managing the highest institutions and various responsibilities within the Revolutionary Guard, jihadist, and popular institutions, I hereby appoint you as the Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard after awarding you the rank of Major General." The Supreme Leader also instructed the new commander to enhance capabilities and preparedness across all sections, to reinforce the readiness of the Revolutionary Guard, and to develop management methods and expertise.
## Western Sanctions
On April 8, 2019, the US administration imposed sanctions on senior military leaders of the Revolutionary Guard, including General Hossein Salami. Salami commented on these sanctions, saying that the Revolutionary Guard is proud to be labeled as terrorists by then-President Donald Trump, adding, "We fight those who do not respect others' rights to enjoy a dignified life." In April 2021, the European Union imposed sanctions on Salami and eight other leaders of the Basij (Mobilization Forces) and the Iranian police due to what Europe termed a "deadly crackdown" carried out by authorities against protestors in 2019. The EU included Salami on its travel ban and asset freeze list, justifying the decision by stating that "Hossein Salami participated in the meetings that resulted in orders to use lethal force to suppress the November 2019 protests, and therefore he bears responsibility for severe human rights violations in Iran."
