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Yahya Rahim Safavi
Iranian military commander From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Yahya "Rahim" Safavi (Persian: یحیی «رحیم» صفوی, born 1952) is an Iranian military commander who served as the chief commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.[1][2] Currently, Safavi is serving as a senior military advisor to the leader of the Islamic revolution. Additionally, he has assumed the role of head of Defense and Security Commission within the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations.[3]
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Early life
Safavi was born in 1952 in the city of Isfahan, Iran,[1][2] to an Azerbaijani family.[4]
Career
Safavi was one of the leaders of the Iran–Iraq War.[5] During the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, he played a key role in the uprising in Herat in November 2001, where American, Iranian and Northern Alliance troops supported a local uprising against the Taliban.
He served as the deputy commander of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps until 1997 when he was appointed its commander, replacing Mohsen Rezaee in 1997.[6]
He was replaced as commander of the IRGC by Mohammad Ali Jafari, former director of the Strategic Studies Center of the IRGC on 1 September 2007.[7] Then he was appointed by the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei as his special military advisor.[8]
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Political views
Safavi is a leading advocate of the so-called "Axis of Resistance," which includes Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iran-backed militias in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.[9] He argued that this network has already dealt strategic blows to Israel and has the potential to reshape the region's geopolitical future. According to Safavi, Israel has been "defeated by the Resistance," and he emphasizes that the liberation of Palestine will only be achieved through persistent armed struggle.[10][11]
On Apr 7, 2024, Safavi opined that Hamas is an idea and an ideal that cannot be destroyed.[12] During his speech at the 6th International Conference of Solidarity with Palestinian Youth, Safavi praised Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, describing it as a "glorious" operation.[13][14]
Asset freeze
On 24 December 2006, Rahim Safavi was included on a list of Iranian individuals and organizations sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1737 due to their alleged involvement in the Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.[15]
Awards and recognition
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Fath grade 1
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Fath grade 2
See also
References
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