TEHRAN (Dispatches) – Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on Monday highlighted the major role that the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) plays in countering threats against the country.
In a message, Rouhani congratulated Major General Hussein Salami a day after he was appointed as the new IRGC commander by Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
Rouhani hoped for stronger unity among Iran’s armed forces and further strengthening of the Islamic Republic in the face of hostile plots and threats through prudent employment of the IRGC capacities and the great potential of its popular forces.
The president further admired Salami’s predecessor, Major General Muhammad Ali Jafari, for his sincere service in office.
General Salami is a war veteran, one of the key military commanders during the Iraqi war on Iran in the 1980s.
He was born in the city of Golpayegan in Iran's central province of Isfahan in 1960.
In 1978, he enrolled in the mechanical engineering department of Iran University of Science and Technology.
Salami joined the IRGC at the start of the 1980-88 war of the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein against the Islamic Republic.
He served as the commander of 25th Karbala Division, 14th Imam Hussein Division and Noah Headquarters during the eight-year war.
After the war, he continued his academic studies and graduated with a master's degree in defense management.
At IRGC, he has served in several capacities, including the commander of IRGC University of Command and Staff, operations deputy of IRGC Joint Staff, and commander of IRGC Air Force.
He is currently a faculty member at Supreme National Defense University.
In a Sunday decree, Ayatollah Khamenei appointed General Salami, who previously served as IRGC's second-in-command, as the new chief commander of the elite force, also promoting him to the rank of major general.
The Leader issued another decree, appointing General Ja'fari as the new head of Hadhrat Baqiatollah al-A'zam Cultural and Social Headquarters.