Yahya Rahim Safavi


Yahya "Rahim" Safavi is an Iranian military commander who served as the chief commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Early life

Safavi was born in 1952 in the city of Isfahan, Iran.

Career

Safavi was one of the leaders of the Iran–Iraq War. During the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, he played a key role in the uprising in Herat in November 2001, where American, Iranian and Northern Alliance troops supported a local uprising against the Taliban.
He served as the deputy commander of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps until 1997 when he was appointed its commander, replacing Mohsen Rezaee in 1997.
He was replaced as commander of the IRGC by Mohammad Ali Jafari, former director of the Strategic Studies Center of the IRGC on 1 September 2007. Then he was appointed by the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei as his special military advisor.

Asset freeze

On 24 December 2006, Rahim Safavi was listed in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1737 asking for his assets to be frozen because of alleged involvements in Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.