Amir Hatami

Amir Hatami
امیر حاتمی
Amir Hatami in 2025
Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Army
Assumed office
14 June 2025
Preceded byAbdolrahim Mousavi
Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics
In office
20 August 2017 – 25 August 2021
PresidentHassan Rouhani
Preceded byHossein Dehghan
Succeeded byMohammad-Reza Gharaei Ashtiani
Personal details
Born1966 (age 59–60)
Zanjan, Iran
Alma materOfficers' Academy
University of Command and Staff
Supreme National Defense University
Military service
AllegianceIran
BranchIslamic Republic of Iran Army
Basij[1]
RankMajor general
CommandsMilitary Intelligence
Conflicts

Amir Hatami (Persian: امیر حاتمی, born 1966) is an Iranian military officer who serves as the commander-in-chief of the Iranian Army.[2] Holding the rank of major general, Hatami was appointed commander-in-chief following the promotion of Abdolrahim Mousavi to Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces after the assassination of his predecessor Mohammad Bagheri in the Twelve-Day War.

Hatami is also an Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces of Army Affairs and the former minister of defense of Iran.[3] He was designated as the defense minister by President Hassan Rouhani on 8 August 2017[3] and gained vote of confidence from the parliament on 20 August 2017, with 261 yes, 10 nays, 13 abstentions and 4 invalid votes.[4]

Biography

Amir Hatami was born in 1966 in Nimowar (village of Zanjan).[5] At the age of 14, Hatami joined the Basij as a volunteer and began serving in the Iranian Army Ground Forces in 1984.[5] After the war, he entered the Imam Ali Officers' University in 1989 and graduated in defense science management.[5] Unverified reports claimed that Amir Hatami, along with the Revolutionary Guards commander at the time, Mohammed Pakpour, was killed by a balistic missile strike on 28 February 2026 during the 2026 Israeli-United States strikes on Iran.[6][7][8]

He was the first minister of defense with Artesh background in more than two decades, an office held by Revolutionary Guards officers only since 1989.[9]

Hatami previously served as the head of the Army's international relations office, as well as a deputy in the armed forces general staff.[10]

Awards and decorations

References

  1. ^ a b "Iran: A look at the 'dark past' of those in the running for Rouhani's cabinet", Al Arabiya, 12 August 2017, retrieved 14 August 2017
  2. ^ "General Hatami appointed new Army Chief". en.irna.ir. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  3. ^ a b "Hassan Rouhani's cabinet is complete. Here's the full list", Tehran Times, 8 August 2017, retrieved 8 August 2017
  4. ^ "Almost All Ministers Proposed by Rouhani Receive Vote of Confidence", Iran Front Page, 20 August 2017, retrieved 20 August 2017
  5. ^ a b c "سرتیپ امیر حاتمی | خبرگزاری تسنیم | Tasnim". www.tasnimnews.com (in Persian). Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Iran defence minister Amir Hatami and IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour killed in Israeli strikes: Report". The Times of India. 28 February 2026. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  7. ^ Ahmad, Amreen (28 February 2026). "Israel-Iran War Update: Reports Claim Iran Defence Minister Amir Hatami & IRGC Chief Mohammad Pakpour Killed in Strikes". The Sunday Guardian. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  8. ^ "Reports: Iran Army Chief Gen. Amir Hatami killed in massive Israeli strikes on Tehran". @mathrubhumi. 28 February 2026. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  9. ^ Raz Zimmt (10 August 2017), "The Second Rouhani Government: Public Demands and Presidential Constraints", INSS Insight (963), Tel Aviv: The Institute for National Security Studies, retrieved 14 August 2017
  10. ^ "Rouhani proposes Hatami for Defense Ministry", IRNA, 14 August 2017, archived from the original on 14 August 2017, retrieved 14 August 2017
  • Media related to Amir Hatami at Wikimedia Commons