Hedayatollah Gilanshah (1907–1986) was the commander of the Imperial Iranian Air Force for three terms. He was among the individuals who contributed to the development of the Iranian air force. In addition, he was one of the army officers who played an active in the coup against Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1953.
Early life and education Gilanshah was born in Tehran in 1907. He hailed from an aristocratic family. He graduated from the Officers’ Academy in Tehran. He was trained as a pilot in England and France. He joined further training programmes in England and the US.
Career and activities In September 1941, he served as the commander of the Khuzestan Air Regiment. In 1947, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and commander of the Air force from 1947 to 1948.
Between 1950 and 1952 Gilanshah served as the head of the Iranian Soccer Association. In 1952 he was appointed as the commander of the Iranian Air Force. He blamed Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh for his early retirement and joined the anti-Mosaddeq officers. He was part of the pro-British army officers who were planning a coup against the government of Mosaddegh. The major members of this group included General Hassan Arfa, Brigadier General Teymur Bakhtiar and Colonel Hassan Akhavi. Gilanshah was promoted to the rank of Major General after the coup which had removed Mosaddegh from office and was named as the chief of the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's military office. From 1954 to 1958 he was the commander of the Iranian Air Force. Hedayatollah Gilanshah was regarded as one of the most powerful military figures of the second Pahlavi era.
Later years and death After leaving office he retired and died in 1986.
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