Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (Iran)

The Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL; ) is the defence ministry of Iran and part of the country's executive branch. It thus reports to the President of Iran, not to the Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces.

Unlike many countries, the ministry is not involved with in-the-field military operational command of the armed forces. Instead it is responsible for planning, logistics and funding of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran while the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a separate institution under command of the supreme leader of Iran, has control over the forces. The MODAFL is also the major player in the defence industry of Iran, with multiple conglomerates and subordinates active in research and development, maintenance and manufacturing of military equipment. It annually exports military equipment manufactured in Iran to forces of countries such as Syria (until 2024), Iraq, Venezuela, and Sudan (the latter ceased in 2019), as well as non-state actors like Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The ministry is considered one of the three "sovereign" ministerial bodies of Iran due to nature of its work at home and abroad.

History

From the mid-1940s, U.S. Army and later Air Force officers of the Army Mission Iran and later Military Assistance Advisory Group Iran (ARMISH-MAAG) were closely involved in providing a range of advice, support, and reorganizational assistance.

1952–53: Reforms under Mossadegh When Mohammad Mossadegh took over the ministry on 21 July 1952, he initiated a series of reforms in the ministry. He named General Ahmad Vossough as his deputy and renamed the ministry from 'War' to 'National Defence', cut the military budget by 15%, and vowed to only purchase defensive military equipment. Two investigatory commissions were formed, one for examining previous promotions and the other for materiel procurement. Under Mossadegh, some 15,000 personnel were transferred from the army to the gendarmerie and 136 officers, including 15 general officers, were purged.

1970s procurement

1982–89: Two ministries

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had between 1982 and 1989 its own dedicated defence ministry, mirroring the existing ministry of defence which solely supplied the Islamic Republic of Iran Army during this period. Under President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in 1989, the two ministries were merged into one in order to cease parallel work and reduce interservice rivalry.

Subordinates

Iranian military industry, under the command of the Ministry of Defence, is composed of the following main components:

Organization Field of activity Iran Electronics Industries (SAIRAN) Electronics, communications, e-warfare, radars, satellites, etc. Defence Industries Organization (SASAD) Tanks, rockets, bombs, guns, armored vehicles, etc. Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO) Guided missiles systems, etc. Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO) Aircraft, UAV, helicopters, etc. Marine Industries Organization (MIO) Ships, hovercraft, submarines, etc. Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND) Defence related research and development. National Geographical Organization of Iran (NGO) Matters related to military maps, national borders and geographical services required by the Armed Forces. Malek-Ashtar University of Technology (MUT) The ministry's educational institution

In August 2018, the Iranian Ministry of Defence declared it had offloaded its shares in Wagon Pars and Iran Airtour.Iran Defense Ministry Claims It Has Divested From Civilian Businesses, Radiofarda.com, 27 August 2018 In November 2020, the head of the Research and Innovation Organisation of the defence ministry, the nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was assassinated in an ambush near Tehran.Top Iranian nuclear scientist assassinated near Tehran, Aljazeera.com, 27 November 2020

Aerospace Industries Organization Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO, ) is a subordinate of the Iranian defence ministry and a leading high-tech complex headquartered in Tehran. It is a key player in development and production of space assets of Iran, and has some research center and factory under its control. Shahab ballistic missiles are one of notable products manufactured by the organization.

Ministers of War (1858–1979) Reign of the Qajar dynasty Mirza Mohammad Khan Sepahsalar (1858 – 1866) Aziz Khan Mokri (1866 – 1868) Kamran Mirza (1868 – 1871) Mirza Hossein Sepahsalar (September 1871 – 1873) Firuz Mirza (1873 – 1874) Mohammad Rahim Khan Ala ad-Dowleh (1874 – 1874) Mirza Hossein Sepahsalar (1874 – 1880) Kamran Mirza (1880 – July 1896) Mohammad Baqir Khan Shoja al-Saltaneh (July 1896 – November 1896) Abdol-Hossein Farman Farma (25 November 1896 – October 1897) Vajihollah Mirza Sepahsalar (October 1897 – 18 January 1905) Kamran Mirza (February 1906 – August 1906) Hoseyn Pasha Khan Amir Bahador (August 1906 – 28 August 1906) (28 August 1906 – 10 March 1907) Kamran Mirza (21 March 1907 – 3 May 1907) Mostowfi ol-Mamalek (3 May 1907 – 22 July 1908) Hoseyn Pasha Khan Amir Bahador (22 July 1908 – 2 May 1909) Mostowfi ol-Mamalek (2 May 1909 – 17 July 1909) Mohammad Vali Khan (17 July 1909 – 28 April 1910) Ali-Qoli Khan Bakhtiari (28 April 1910 – 24 July 1910) Ahmad Qavam (24 July 1910 – 11 March 1911) Abdol-Hossein Farman Farma (11 March 1911 – 11 March 1911) Mohammad Vali Khan (11 March 1911 – 18 July 1911) Najaf-Qoli Khan Bakhtiari (18 July 1911 – 31 July 1911) (31 July 1911 – 18 January 1913) Mostowfi ol-Mamalek (18 January 1913 – 17 August 1914) (17 August 1914 – 14 March 1915) Hassan Pirnia (14 March 1915 – 30 April 1915) Abdol Majid Mirza (30 April 1915 – 17 August 1915) Mohammad Vali Khan (17 August 1915 – 4 March 1916) Jamshid Khan Sardar Kabir (4 March 1916 – 29 August 1916) (29 August 1916 – 5 June 1917) Hassan Pirnia (5 June 1917 – 30 April 1918) (30 April 1918 – 18 June 1918) (18 June 1918 – 7 August 1918) Qasem Khan Vali (7 August 1918 – 12 October 1918) Fathollah Khan Akbar (12 October 1918 – 3 July 1920) (3 July 1920 – 26 October 1920) Abdollah Khan Hamadani (27 October 1920 – 21 February 1921) (24 February 1921 – 27 April 1921) Reza Shah (27 April 1921 – 19 December 1925) Reign of Reza Shah Amir Abdollah Tahmasebi (19 December 1925 – 3 July 1926) Mohammad Ali Foroughi (3 July 1926 – 2 June 1927) Amir Abdollah Tahmasebi (2 June 1927 – April 1928) (April 1928 – October 1934) Ahmad Nakhjavan (October 1934 – 14 April 1936) (Acting) (14 April 1936 – 26 October 1939) (Acting) Ahmad Nakhjavan (26 October 1939 – 28 August 1941) (Acting) Reign of Mohammad Reza Shah Ahmad Nakhjavan (28 August 1941 – 31 August 1941) (Acting) Mohammad Ali Foroughi (31 August 1941 – 9 March 1942) (Acting) Amanullah Jahanbani (9 March 1942 – 10 August 1942) Ahmad Qavam (10 August 1942 – 23 December 1942) Ahmad Amir-Ahmadi (23 December 1942 – 27 March 1944) Ebrahim Zand (27 March 1944 – 22 September 1944) Mohammad Hossein Mirza Firouz (22 September 1944– 12 October 1944) Abdollah Hedayat (12 October 1944 – 26 November 1944) (Acting) Ebrahim Zand (26 November 1944 – 4 November 1945) (4 November 1945 – 17 February 1946) Ahmad Amir-Ahmadi (17 February 1946 – 27 December 1947) Morteza Yazdanpanah (27 December 1947 – 22 June 1948) Ahmad Amir-Ahmadi (22 June 1948 – 26 February 1950) Morteza Yazdanpanah (26 February 1950 – 2 July 1950) Abdollah Hedayat (2 July 1950 – 8 April 1951) Ali-Asghar Naghdi (8 April 1951 – 1 December 1951) Morteza Yazdanpanah (1 December 1951 – 27 July 1952) Mohammad Mosaddegh (27 July 1952 – 19 August 1953) Abdollah Hedayat (19 August 1953 – 17 September 1955) (17 September 1955 – 6 May 1961) Ali-Asghar Naghdi (6 May 1961 – 30 September 1963) Asadollah Sanii (30 September 1963 – 2 January 1971) (Acting:September 30, 1963 – March 9, 1964) Reza Azimi (2 January 1971 – 6 January 1979) Jafar Shafaghat (6 January 1979 – 11 February 1979)

Ministers of Defence since 1979

! colspan="8" align="center" | Minister of National Defence

! colspan="8" align="center" | Minister of Defence

! colspan="8" align="center" | Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics

Timeline

Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (Iran)

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