September 3, 2021
The Supreme Leader has named a new commander of the regular Navy, replacing the previous commander after an unusually short tenure of just four years, raising speculation he was ousted because of the number of incidents that have plagued the Navy recently.
What’s more, the new commander is a Sunni, which is very unusual for someone in a senior position of the Islamic Republic.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenehi named Rear Admiral Amir-Shahram Irani as the new commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Navy (IRIN) on August 17. IRIN is one of two Iranian navies, the other being the Pasdaran’s maritime arm. This appointment is noteworthy as it comes after a series of naval incidents that have plagued the tenure of Irani’s predecessor, Hossain Khanzadi.
Irani, 54, was born in Sanandaj in Kurdistan Province. He is Sunni, which is rare for the senior ranks of Iran’s armed forces. Iran International reported that the Majlis bloc of Sunni lawmakers sent a letter to Khamenehi thanking him for the “unprecedented” appointment and calling the move a major change in the way the country’s management works.
Irani graduated from Imam Khomeini Naval University of Nowshahr where he focused on marine sciences. He holds a master’s degree from the university and teaches there as well. Irani’s previous positions include chief of operations of the First Naval District in Bandar Abbas; chief of staff and deputy commander of the First Naval District; deputy chief of operations for the Navy; and deputy chief of army and naval training. His latest post was as deputy for design, planning and budgeting of the Navy.
His predecessor, Khanzadi, had a relatively short tenure only assuming his post in 2017. This stands in contrast to Khanzadi’s predecessor, Habib-ollah Sayyari, who held the position for a decade. This could indicate that Iran’s Supreme Leader and the Iranian defense establishment were looking to make a change after a series of Navy setbacks. In June 2021, the Kharg, which was the Navy’s second largest ship, sank in the Gulf of Oman as a result of an onboard fire. This followed a May 2020 incident in which the frigate Jamaran struck the Konarak with an anti-ship missile. There was another sinking in 2018, when the frigate Damavand sank after crashing into a jetty. This all occurred under Khanzadi’s tenure.
The new commander’s background in training could be a sign of a renewed focus on improving naval performance and avoiding mishaps. On the other hand, those incidents occurred despite Irani’s responsibility for training.
Left unsaid in the personnel change was where Khanzadi would land next. In the past, being Navy commander has served as a steppingstone to powerful positions. His predecessor, Sayyari, was promoted to be coordinating deputy of all the Iranian armed forces. Before Sayyari, Abbas Mohtaj rose from Navy commander to become governor general of Qom province and later deputy interior minister. Ali Shamkhani rose from commander of both the Navy and Pasdar maritime arm to become defense minister and currently secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.
Thus, the absence of any news as to where Khanzadi will be headed next could indicate dissatisfaction with his tenure.