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Mohammad-Reza Gharaei Ashtiani
Iranian military officer (born 1960) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Mohammad-Reza Gharaei Ashtiani (Persian: محمدرضا قرایی آشتیانی; born 1960) is an Iranian military officer who has served as the deputy chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces since 28 August 2024. Ashtiani served as the former minister of defence in Iran, and was sworn in on 25 August 2021, replacing Brigadier General Amir Hatami who had held the role since 2017.[1]
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Due to his connections to the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of Russia and Iranian defense industry, Ashtiani was sanctioned by the United States Department of Treasury.[2][3]
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Military career
Ashtiani was promoted to the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Islamic Republic of Iran (Artesh) on 2 July 2019, following a decree by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Ashtiani replaced Major General Ataollah Salehi. He was selected to be the Minister of Defense by President Ebrahim Raisi and then was approved for the position and took office on 25 August 2021.[citation needed]
Defense Minister
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Ashtiani’s selection for the position was favored by outgoing minister Amir Hatami who called Ashtiani the “best candidate” for position. Ashtiani said that he would prioritize exporting various defense products to other countries around the world.[citation needed]
International sanctions
On May 31, 2024, Ashtiani was placed on an EU sanctions list by the EU Council. He is accused of facilitating and providing material support to Russia's war against Ukraine by supplying Iranian weaponry, namely unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), to Russia's Armed Forces.[4]
References
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