Iran Appoints Brigadier General Alireza Elhami as New Air Defense Commander

TEHRAN: The new commander of Iran’s Army Air Defense Force is Brigadier General Alireza Elhami.

By decree, Brigadier General Alireza Elhami was named commander of the Army Air Defense Force.

Formerly chief of the Air Defense University and deputy for operations at the Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Headquarters, General Elhami has been the force’s deputy commander since 2019.

The Army Air Defense Force was previously commanded by Brigadier General Alireza Sabahi Fard.

Earlier this month, the chief commander of the Iranian Army warned that the nation is fully poised to give a befitting reaction to any danger to its national interests, emphasizing that Iran’s defense strategy is based on active deterrence.

Major General Amir Hatami, during a ceremony to welcome the destroyer Sahand and Kordestan vessels to the Navy’s fleet, declared that their defensive strategy is based on active defense and smart deterrence.

“This means that we will not wait for the enemy to attack, and we have the necessary readiness for any decisive and crushing response at any point where our national interests require,” he stated.

Paying tribute to the Navy’s sacrifices during the Iran–Iraq War, he said Iran’s power remains a stabilizing force for the nation and the wider region.

“Today, one cannot draw a distinction between the security of the region and the security of countries,” he continued.