Yahya Rahim Safavi

Early life

Safavi was born in 1952 in the city of Esfahan, Iran, to a Persian family.

Career

Safavi was one of the leaders of the Iran–Iraq War. 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.

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. Then he was appointed by the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei as his special military advisor.

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. 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.

On Apr 7, 2024, Safavi opined that Hamas is an idea and an ideal that cannot be destroyed. 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.

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.

Awards and recognition

References

References

1. (2024-01-01). "Leader picks Gen. Safavi for membership in Strategic Council on Foreign Relations".
2. ''The Case Against Iran'' (2008). Charles Raymond Snow. Trafford Publishing. {{ISBN. 9781425175962.
3. [http://www.iribnews.ir/fa/news/1456242/ Safavi, Karbala 5 Operation] iribnews.ir Retrieved 31 January 2019
4. Rubin, Michael. (Fall 2008). "Iran's Revolutionary Guards – A Rogue Outfit?". Middle East Quarterly.
5. Sepehri, Vahid. (4 September 2007). "Iran: New Commander Takes over Revolutionary Guards". Radio Free Europe.
6. Frederic Wehrey. (2009). "The Rise of the Pasdaran". RAND Corporation.
7. (2025-05-14). "Axis of Resistance {{!}} Groups, Countries, Map, Leaders, Middle East, Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, Syria, & Houthi {{!}} Britannica".
8. (2022-09-27). "“Resistance” strategy gaining more strength: Gen. Safavi".
9. (2023-10-07). "Iran backs large-scale Palestinian operation against Israel".
10. (2024-04-07). "Zionist embassies not safe anymore: Safavi".
11. "Iran backs large-scale Palestinian operation against Israel".
12. Weinthal, Benjamin. (2023-10-07). "Iran-funded terror proxies launch war against Israel amid surprise invasion against Jewish state".
13. "Security Council imposes sanctions on Iran for failure to halt uranium enrichment, unanimously adopting Resolution 1737". [[United Nations]].