Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces

The position of Commander-in-Chief (Farmandehe Koll-e Qova (Persian: فرمانده کل قوا), formerly known as Bozorg Arteshtārān (Persian: بزرگ‌ارتشتاران), is the ultimate authority of all the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, and the highest possible military position within the Islamic Republic of Iran. The position was established during the Persian Constitutional Revolution. According to the Constitution of Iran, the position is vested in the Supreme Leader of Iran and is held since 1981.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran
فرمانده کل نیروهای مسلح جمهوری اسلامی ایران (Persian)
Incumbent Ali Khamenei since 4 June 1989
Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces
Seat	Tehran, Iran
Appointer	Assembly of Experts
Formation	6 August 1906
First holder	Mozaffar ad-Din Shah

After the 1979 Iranian Revolution and 15 days after the inauguration of the first president Abolhassan Banisadr in February 1980, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini delegated him as the Commander-in-Chief.^[1] According to Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, this was due to the illness of Ayatollah Khomeini and his concerns about the future of the revolution (in his absence).^[2] In the decree from Khomeini to Banisadr it is mentioned:

At this critical stage where the need to concentrate forces is greater than any stage, you are appointed as my representative to the position of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in the manner determined by the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.^[1]

Following the impeachment of Banisadr in June 1981, the title of Commander-in-Chief was not transferred to the next president Mohammad-Ali Rajai, and is kept to this day by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

List of commanders-in-chief

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Military rank	Military branch
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
• Sublime State of Persia (1906–1925) •
1		Shah, MozaffarShah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah (1853–1907)	6 August 1906	3 January 1907 †	150 days	N/A	N/A
2		Shah, MohammadShah Mohammad Ali Shah (1872–1925)	3 January 1907	16 July 1909	2 years, 194 days	N/A	N/A
–		Khan, Ali RezaRegent Ali Reza Khan (1847–1910)	16 July 1909[3]	22 September 1910 †	1 year, 56 days	N/A	N/A
–		Khan, AbolqasemRegent Abolqasem Khan (1856–1927)	22 September 1910[3]	21 July 1914	3 years, 314 days	N/A	N/A
3		Shah, AhmadShah Ahmad Shah (1898–1930)	21 July 1914[3]	14 February 1925	11 years, 147 days	N/A	N/A
4		Khan, RezaPrime Minister Reza Khan (1878–1944) [a]	14 February 1925[4]	15 December 1925	304 days	Brigadier general	Persian Cossack Brigade (1894–1921)
• Imperial State of Iran (1925–1979) •
1		Shah, RezaShah Reza Shah (1878–1944)	15 December 1925	16 September 1941	15 years, 275 days	Brigadier general	Persian Cossack Brigade (1894–1921)
2		Shah, MohammadShah Mohammad Reza Shah (1919–1980)	16 September 1941	21 July 1952	10 years, 309 days	Captain[5]	Imperial Iranian Army (1936–1941)[5]
3		Mosaddegh, MohammadPrime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh (1882–1967) [b]	21 July 1952	19 August 1953	1 year, 29 days	N/A	N/A
(2)		Shah, MohammadShah Mohammad Reza Shah (1919–1980)	19 August 1953	11 February 1979	25 years, 176 days	Captain	Imperial Iranian Army (1936–1941)
• Islamic Republic of Iran (1980–present) •
1		Banisadr, AbolhassanPresident Abolhassan Banisadr (1933–2021) [c]	19 February 1980[8]	10 June 1981[9]	1 year, 111 days	N/A	N/A
2		Khomeini, RuhollahSupreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini (1902–1989)	10 June 1981	3 June 1989 †	7 years, 358 days [d]	N/A	N/A
3		Khamenei, AliSupreme Leader Ali Khamenei (born 1939)	4 June 1989	Incumbent	36 years, 15 days	N/A[e]	Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (24 November 1979–24 February 1980)[13]

See also

• Islamic Republic of Iran Army
  • List of commanders of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army
• Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
  • List of commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Notes

1. Appointed by the Parliament of Iran.^[4]
2. Mosaddegh was granted emergency powers by Shah of Iran to rule by decree.^[6] While holding office as the Prime Minister and Minister of War (renamed to "Ministry of National Defence") simultaneously, Mossadegh went over the authority of Shah, the Commander-in-Chief vetted in the Persian Constitution of 1906, and appointed commanders in Imperial Iranian Army and Police.^[7]
3. Delegated by the Supreme Leader of Iran.^[8]
4. (Akbar Rafsanjani, acted as the de facto commander-in-chief since mid-1980s^[10]and was later officially appointed as the deputy commander-in-chief on 2 June 1988.^[11] Hassan Rouhani, served as deputy to second-in-command since 1988^[12])
5. He was caretaker of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the highest position in the corps.^[13] At the time military ranks were not used.