September 01, 2017
The naming of a regular Army officer, Brig. Gen. Amir Hatami (photo), to be defense minister after decades in which Pasdar generals have held the post, has prompted some discussion in the media as to whether this indicates profound changes. It doesn’t. Unlike in the United States, in Iran the defense minister is not in the chain of command and doesn’t make policy. He is in charge of things like procurement and other administrative functions.
