Major General Hossein Salami, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, was killed on Friday in an Israeli strike on Tehran. He was one of Iran’s most prominent military figures and a close associate of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, known for his fiery rhetoric against Israel and the West.
Last month, Salami issued a stern warning to Israel and the United States, stating, “If you make the smallest mistake, we will unleash hell upon you.”
Born in 1960 in central Iran, Hossein Salami was a physically imposing figure with a commanding voice and frequently appeared at public celebrations and on television, delivering impassioned speeches that echoed the aggressive language Iranian officials often directed at Israel.
State media broadcast footage of Salami issuing commands from a military operations center during the mid-April 2024 drone and missile assault on Israel, which marked a significant escalation.
In comments made in 2018, Salami encouraged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “practice swimming in the Mediterranean,” alluding to a potential flight from his country.
Salami belonged to the first generation of the Revolutionary Guard, which was established at the beginning of the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) shortly after the revolution. He dedicated most of his career to this military organization.
Previously subjected to U.S. sanctions, Salami was a former commander of the Revolutionary Guard’s Air Force.
After serving for nine years as deputy commander, he was appointed the leader of the Revolutionary Guard in April 2019, succeeding Mohammad Ali Jafari during a significant restructuring within the Iranian leadership.
This position granted Salami a seat on the Supreme National Security Council, which convenes under the presidency and operates to provide direct reports to the Supreme Leader regarding military, security, and foreign policy matters.
Established in 1979 following the revolution led by Imam Khomeini, the Revolutionary Guard is under the command of Khamenei, who is the supreme leader of the Iranian armed forces.
According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the Revolutionary Guard comprises approximately 125,000 personnel, though official numbers are not available.
While part of Iran’s armed forces, the Revolutionary Guard possesses specialized ground, naval, and aerospace capabilities. Unlike the military, its primary role is not to defend Iranian territory but to safeguard “the revolution and its accomplishments,” as outlined in the constitution.