Habibollah Sayyari

Amir Habibollah Sayyari
حبیب‌الله سیاری
Habibollah Sayyari in 2018
Acting Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces
In office 13 June 2025 – 13 June 2025
President	Masoud Pezeshkian
Supreme Leader	Ali Khamenei
Preceded by	Mohammad Bagheri
Succeeded by	Abdolrahim Mousavi
Coordinating Deputy of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 November 2017
President	Hassan Rouhani Ebrahim Raisi Mohammad Mokhber (acting) Masoud Pezeshkian
Supreme Leader	Ali Khamenei Mojtaba Khamenei
Preceded by	Mohammad-Hossein Dadras
Commander of the Iranian Navy
In office 29 August 2007 – 5 November 2017
President	Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Hassan Rouhani
Supreme Leader	Ali Khamenei
Preceded by	Sajjad Kouchaki
Succeeded by	Hossein Khanzadi
Deputy Commander of the Iranian Navy
In office 2005–2007
President	Mohammad Khatami Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Supreme Leader	Ali Khamenei
Preceded by	Mohammad Hossein Shafiei
Succeeded by	Gholamreza Khadem Bigham
Deputy for Operational and Combat Support Affairs, Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Artesh
In office 2003–2005
President	Mohammad Khatami
Supreme Leader	Ali Khamenei
Preceded by	?
Succeeded by	Mohammad Mahmoudi
Deputy Coordinating Deputy of the Artesh
In office 2000–2003
President	Mohammad Khatami
Supreme Leader	Ali Khamenei
Preceded by	Akbar Fasihi
Succeeded by	?
Personal details
Born	(1956-01-10)10 January 1956 Now Bandegan Fasa County, Fars province, Pahlavi Iran
Education	University of Command and Staff Supreme National Defense University
Awards	Order of Fath (1st grade) Order of Merit and Management (2nd grade)
Military service
Allegiance	Pahlavi Iran (1974–1979) Iran (1979–present)
Branch/service	Navy
Years of service	1974–present
Rank	Commodore
Commands	Northern Fleet (1998–1999) Deputy Commander of the 1st Naval District (1995–1998) 1st Marine Brigade
Battles/wars	Iran–Iraq War First Battle of Khorramshahr Siege of Abadan Operation Morvarid Operation Samen-ol-A'emeh (WIA) Second Battle of Khorramshahr Twelve-Day War 2026 Iran war

Habibollah Sayyari (Persian: حبیب‌الله سیاری, born 1955) is an Iranian military officer who briefly served as Acting Chief of Staff of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces in June 2025. He previously served as Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (the "Regular Navy").

On 13 June 2025, following Israeli strikes on Iran, he was appointed to the role by order of the Supreme Leader, replacing Mohammad Bagheri, but was replaced shortly thereafter by Abdolrahim Mousavi.

He is a former marine commando who fought in the Iran–Iraq War.

Early life

Habibollah Sayyari was born in January 1956 in Now Bandegan, Fasa County, Fars province.

Military service

Commodore Habibollah Sayyari was commissioned in the Artesh in 1974 and served in Imperial Iran Navy prior to the Revolution. Sayyari completed advanced Green Beret (Kolah Sabzi) Studies, at the Command and Staff College (DAFOS), and Strategic Sciences courses at the Supreme National Defense University. Sayyari saw combat during the Iran–Iraq War as a Naval Commando. He was part of the Bushehr Marine Rangers Battalion during the famed First Battle of Khorramshahr and was wounded in the battle. He also participated in Operation Morvarid and was seriously wounded by a mortar shell during Operation Samen-ol-A'emeh.

Habibollah Sayyari has served as the Commander of the 1st Marine Rifle Brigade; Commander of the Manjil Marine Commando Training Center, Deputy IRIN 1st Naval District Commander, IRIN 4th Naval District Commander and he has also served staff tours as the Assistant Deputy Coordinator, Military Advisor, Deputy of Administrative Affairs for Combat Services Support, Artesh Joint Staff Headquarters; IRIN Deputy Commander from 2005 to 2007; IRIN Commander 2007–2017.

Responsibilities of Habibollah Sayyari

Habibollah Sayyari has held numerous key positions throughout his military career. Initially, he served in several important command roles, such as Commander of Marine Corps Training in Manjil, Commander of the 1st Marine Brigade in Bandar Abbas, Deputy Commander of the 1st Naval District (NEDAJA), and Commander of the Naval Training Center in Rasht and the 4th Naval District (NEDAJA).

Sayyari was later transferred to the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Army, where he served as the Deputy Coordinating Deputy and Deputy for Operational and Combat Support Affairs. In 2005, he returned to NEDAJA and served as Deputy Commander of the Navy until 2007, after which he took on the role of Commander of the Navy, a position he held for a decade until 2017.

Since November 2017, Sayyari has been serving as the Coordinating Deputy of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army and the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Army. Currently, his military rank is Commodore (Naval equivalent of Brigadier General).

Habibollah Sayyari's Background

1. Commander of Marine Corps Training, Manjil
2. Commander of the 1st Marine Brigade, Bandar Abbas
3. Deputy Commander of the 1st Naval District, Navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran (NEDAJA) (1995–1998)
4. Commander of the Naval Training Center, Rasht
5. Commander of the 4th Naval District, NEDAJA (1998–1999)
6. Deputy Coordinating Deputy of the Army (2000–2003)
7. Deputy for Operational and Combat Support Affairs, Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Army (2003–2005)
8. Deputy Commander of the Navy (2005–2007)
9. Commander of the Navy (2007–2017)
10. Coordinating Deputy of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army (Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) (2017–present)