Iran military leadership attendees at Rasfanjani's funeral

Iran media imagery of Iran's military leadership attending the laying to rest of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani on 10JAN2017:

Left to right:

- IRI Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehghan

- IRGC Commander Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari

- Chairman of AFGS Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri

Center: IRGC-QF Commander Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani

Artesh Commander Maj. Gen. Ataollah Salehi (in uniform)

Maj. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi (Ret), former Chairman of the AFGS

IRGC Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi, Special Advisor to Supreme Leader

IRGCN Commander Commodore Ali Fadavi (uniformed)

Commander of Tehran Police Force Brig. Gen. Hossein Sajedinia

Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) and Saraya Ashura militia commander

COMMENT: Interesting to see Iran's military leadership attending the laying to rest of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, given the political backdrop following the 2009 election and Rasfanjani falling out of favor with establishment elements of the political right. However, projections of political unity are a key theme for this country that considers itself under constant national security threat.

Remarkable to see ISCI leader Ammar al-Hakim in attendance, given the history of the Iran-Iraq War and Rasfanjani's record as high ranking Iranian commander during that period. Iranian and Iraqi relations have never been so close in the modern period, since Operation Iraqi Freedom forcefully effected regime change.

Photos: 
- Taha Jalilzade and Armin Karami at Tasnim News Agency
- Leader.ir

Rasfanjani, former wartime de facto C-in-C, passes away at 82

 

Above: Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani during the Iran-Iraq War with Ali Sayad Shirazi, commander of the Ground Forces of the Iranian Army

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former de facto wartime C-in-C during the Iran-Iraq War and president during the postwar economic rebuild passed away 08JAN2017. He was 82.

Rafsanjani is generally credited with effecting a command and control system and means of prosecuting the war within Iran's limited training and resources, into a force that nearly won the war against Saddam Hussein and Baath-led Iraq. However the combined support of the United States, USSR, France, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait assisted Saddam Hussein succeeded in thwarting Iranian war aims. Ironically, it would take the American military invasion of Iraq and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) to realize those same Iranian war aims, to where we observe the current situation as it is now.

More of the credit, however, for any effective prosecution of the Iran-Iraq war should be awarded to Ali Sayad Shirazi, then commander of the Ground Forces of the Iranian Army. Using an American military Civil War analogy, Rasfanjani was the resolute political figure like Lincoln; with Shirazi the General Grant figure, willing to commit to huge casualties for limited gains. But for the Iranians, there would be no Appomattox.

Since Rasfanjani's handling of the Iran-Iraq War, the Iranians have not committed large numbers of men and formations to military actions in the region. Twice since they have postured with heavy troop and equipment concentrations at their borders-- in 1998 and in 2015, in response to the Taliban and ISIL, respectively--but have not engaged. This may be attributed to Rasfanjani's handling of the Iran-Iraq War and his ultimate counsel to Supreme Leader of Iran Ruhollah Khomeini, where he determined the war could not be won.

Rasfanjani was awarded the military Order of Fath 1st class. The medal is the likeness of three Palm leaves over Khorramshahr's grand mosque (as a symbol of resistance), Flag of Iran and the word "Fath".