Hossein Dehghan

Hossein Dehghan
Minister of Defense
Incumbent
Assumed office
15 August 2013
President Hassan Rouhani
Preceded by Ahmad Vahidi
Secretary of the Defense Department of the Expediency Council
In office
2 March 2010 – 15 August 2013
Preceded by Mohammad Forouzandeh
Succeeded by Ahmad Vahidi
Vice President and
Head of the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs[1]
In office
2004–2009
President Mohammad Khatami
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Succeeded by Masoud Zaribafan
Personal details
Born Hossein Dehghani Poudeh[2]
1957 (age 57–58)
Pudeh, Iran
Nationality Iranian
Political party Independent[3]
Alma mater University of Tehran
Occupation Military person
Profession Metallurgical Engineer, University professor[2]
Religion Islam
Military service
Allegiance Iran Iran
Service/branch Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution
Years of service 1979–2004[2]
Rank Brigadier General
Unit Aerospace Force[1]
Battles/wars Iran-Iraq War[2]
1982 Lebanon War[2]
South Lebanon conflict[2]

Hossein Dehghan (Persian: حسین دهقان; born 1957) is a former air force officer with the rank of brigadier general and minister of defense. He was designated for the position by President Hassan Rouhani on 4 August 2013 and confirmed by the parliament on 15 August.[2]

Early life and education

Dehghan was born in a village near Shahreza, called Pudeh, Dehaqan County, Isfahan province, in 1957.[2][4][5] He received a PhD in management from the University of Tehran.[6][7]

Career and activities

Dehghan served as a commander in the Iranian Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and in its air force.[8][9] He left his hometown for Tehran and joined the IRGC shortly after the Iranian revolution in 1979.[4] His posts at the IRGC include commander of IRGC of Tehran (1980-1982), Isfahan, and Syria and Lebanon (1982-1983),[4]- he was one of the men responsible for the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing,[10] - and general manager of the IRGC's Cooperatives Foundation (1996).[11][12]

During the Iran-Iraq war, he was among leading and decision-making commanders of the IRGC along with Mohsen Rezaee, Rahim Safavi and Ali Shamkhani.[13] In Syria and Lebanon he was the commander of the training corps of the IRGC.[4] He was named the IRGC's air force deputy commander in 1986 and became its commander in April 1990.[14] His tenure lasted until 1992 and he was replaced by Mohammad Hossein Jalali in the post.[14] Dehghan was named deputy chief of the IRGC Joint Staff in 1992.[11] He later was promoted to the rank of brigadier general.[11]

Next he served as deputy to the then defense minister, Ali Shamkhani, during the presidency of Mohammad Khatami from 1997 to 2003.[11][15][16] In 2003, he held the post of acting defense minister.[17] He was made deputy president of the martyrs foundation, Bonyad Shahid, in 2005 and served as its president from 2005 to July 2009.[11][12] In addition, he served as an advisor to the former President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.[12][18] From 2009 to 2010 he was the deputy to Ali Shamkhani in the Armed Forces Strategic Studies Center.[11] Then he was appointed secretary of the Expediency Council's political, defense and security committee in 2010.[8] He also served as an advisor to Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani and Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.[11] However, Dehghan distanced himself from Ahmedinejad in 2012 and joined Moderation and Development Party led by Hassan Rouhani.[11]

He was nominated to head the defense ministry on 4 August 2013.[19] He was approved by the Majlis and replaced Ahmad Vahidi in the post. Dehghan received 269 votes in favor and 10 votes against.[20] Former Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi was named as Dehghan's advisor on 22 August.[21]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Biography of Hossein Dehghan Hamshahri
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Biography of Hossein Dehghan, Iranian government official website
  3. ↑ Political affiliation of Rouhani Cabinet members, Mehr News Agency
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Shapira, Shimon (11 August 2013). "Iran’s New Defense Minister: Behind the 1983 Attack on the U.S. Marine Corps Barracks in Beirut". Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  5. ↑ "Who is Hossein Dehghan, Hassan Rouhani’s choice for defense minister". NCRI. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  6. ↑ "President Hassan Rouhani’s pragmatic conservative, security-intelligence-oriented Cabinet nominations". Iran Politik. 6 August 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  7. ↑ "Key figures in Iran's new government". Bloomberg. 15 August 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Former IRGCAF commander: I’m Rouhani’s choice for DM". Iran Daily Brief. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  9. ↑ Karimi, Nasser (4 August 2013). "Hasan Rouhani, Iran’s new president, calls for ‘lessening of hostilities’". MSNBC (Tehran). AP. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  10. ↑ Weekly Standard, September 2013 secret history Hezbollah
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 Will Fulton (7 August 2013). "Rouhani’s Cautious Pick For Defense Minister". Al Monitor. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Frederic Wehrey; Jerrold D Green; Brian Nichiporuk; Alireza Nader, Lydia Hansell (31 December 2008). The Rise of the Pasdaran: Assessing the Domestic Roles of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Rand Corporation. p. 59. ISBN 978-0-8330-4680-2. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  13. ↑ "The Islamic Republic's 13 generals". Iran Briefing. 3 February 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Cordesman, Anthony H. (September 1994). "Iran’s Military Forces: 1988-1993". Center for Strategic and International Studies. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  15. ↑ "Russian Deputy Defense Minister arrives in Iran". Albawaba. 24 June 2002. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  16. ↑ "Rouhani's proposed cabinet line-up". Iran Daily. 6 August 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  17. ↑ "Iran Military to Upgrade Its Shahab-3 Missiles". Arab News (Tehran). Reuters. 16 December 2003. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  18. ↑ Frederic Wehrey; Jerrold D. Green; Brian Nichiporuk; Alireza Nader; Lydia Hansell; Rasool Nafisi; S. R. Bohandy (2009). "The Rise of the Pasdaran". RAND Corporation. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  19. ↑ Soraya Lennie (4 August 2013). "Iran's revival of the moderates". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  20. ↑ "Iranian Parliament Gives Vote of Confidence to Majority of Rouhani’s Proposed Ministers". Fars News. 15 August 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  21. ↑ "Ex-Iranian Oil Minister Qasemi appointed advisor to Defense Minister". ILNA. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2013.