By Humaira Ahad
Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who played a vital role in transforming the country’s missile and aerospace capabilities into a formidable force, was assassinated in a terrorist airstrike by the Zionist regime in the early hours of Friday in Tehran.
In a statement, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said Hajizadeh and several other commanders were martyred in a dastardly Israeli attack on one of the IRGC centers.
Born on February 28, 1962, Hajizadeh came from a family that traced its roots to Khorramdasht, Karaj, a city nestled in the foothills of the Alborz Mountains.
Hajizadeh’s journey into Iran’s defence establishment began during the early years of the Imposed War in the 1980s. At just 19, he joined the frontlines of the war, serving with distinction as a sniper in crucial operations, including Valfajr 8, Karbala 4, and Karbala 5.
The “missile man” fought heroically on the battlefield, earning an exemplary reputation for his courage, tactical insight, and unwavering commitment.
Following the war, Hajizadeh joined the IRGC’s Aerospace Division, becoming a student of the late Martyr Hassan Tehrani-Moghaddam, widely regarded as the father of Iran’s missile program.
Over the years, Hajizadeh played a central role in advancing the Islamic Republic’s missile capabilities and in strengthening the country’s defensive deterrence.
His strategic vision and technical acumen were instrumental in developing indigenous missile systems that reshaped the balance of power in West Asia in Iran’s favor.
In 2007, he assumed command of the IRGC’s Air Defence and, in 2010, he was appointed by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, as the commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force.
Under Hajizadeh’s leadership, the aerospace force of the IRGC emerged as one of the cornerstones of Iran’s national security doctrine.
With an emphasis on self-reliance, strategic depth, and technological innovation, Hajizadeh transformed the Force into a symbol of Iranian resilience and scientific progress.
He was an architect behind Iran’s precision-strike capabilities and its regional defence potential.
Among Hajizadeh’s most prominent contributions was his leadership during major retaliatory operations against the Israeli regime.
The senior IRGC commander oversaw the Iranian Aerospace Force’s execution of Operation True Promise 1 and Operation True Promise 2—the large-scale missile strikes in April and October 2024 in response to Israel’s assassinations of resistance figures.
The Iranian attack targeted key Israeli military and intelligence installations.
In recognition of his contributions, Leader of the Revolution awarded Hajizadeh the “Order of Faith”, a high-ranking military award honouring the Brigadier General’s courage and strategic leadership in confronting the Israeli regime.
✍️ Viewpoint -Israeli terrorism against Iran’s military commanders, scientists bears Western hallmark
By Iqbal Sulemanhttps://t.co/2fB8LCGJsk
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) June 13, 2025
In July 2024, Hajizadeh publicly stated the Islamic Republic’s readiness to uphold its strategic defence, saying that Iran is prepared to lead a decisive response against any Zionist aggression.
The IRGC commander left a lasting imprint on the broader resistance axis.
In December 2023, Hajizadeh spoke with pride about Iran’s role in empowering Gaza’s resistance. “Until not so long ago, their only means of defence was stones. Today, they are defending themselves with rockets and advanced capabilities,” he remarked.
His role in strengthening the strategic depth of the resistance across West Asia was acknowledged by a broader cross-section of society.
Hajizadeh’s military tenure also included critical operations such as the June 2017 Laylat al-Qadr missile response to the Daesh (ISIS) terrorist group’s attack on Iran’s parliament.
Iran’s destruction of the US Global Hawk spy drone in June 2019 was seen globally as a defining moment of Iran’s deterrence strategy. Following the Marivan terrorist attack in 2018, Hajizadeh oversaw precise missile and drone strikes on terrorist positions.
US and Canada placed sanctions on Hajizadeh in 2019 and 2022, a move that was politically motivated to put pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran.
General Hajizadeh’s life embodied the ethos of independence, strategic patience, and unyielding resistance to foreign domination.
His martyrdom will be remembered as a rallying cry for unity, justice, and the continuation of the resistance path he fearlessly walked upon.
