Qasem-Ali Zahirnejad Ershadi served as Chief of the Joint Staff of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army from 1981 to 1984.

Qasem-Ali Zahirnejad was born in 1924 in Ardabil where he finished primary and secondary education.⁠[1] He married Latifeh Akbari in 1973, and they had two sons and two daughters.⁠[2] In 1951, Zahirnejad entered the Officer Academy, where he graduated as a second lieutenant. Then, he joined the 17th Urmia Division.⁠[3] In 1955, Zahirnejad became commander of the mortar company in the 8th Regiment of the Ardabil Brigade. In 1957, as a first lieutenant, he took command of the mortar group in the 8th Regiment of the 3rd Maragheh Division.⁠[4]

In 1965, while holding the rank of captain, Zahirnejad was appointed head of one of the Training Board committees at headquarters. In 1969, as a major, he became Deputy Operations Officer in Section 3 (Operations Planning and Training Office).⁠[5] His discipline and sense of duty enabled him to rise to higher positions, but his firm stance against corruption among certain colleagues and commanders, along with his opposition to the Pahlavi regime, led to his retirement in 1973 at the rank of colonel. He then went to work for a private company.⁠[6]

On March 7, 1979,⁠[7] shortly after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Major General Valiollah Qarani appointed Qasem-Ali Zahirnejad as commander of the 64th Infantry Division of Urmia, while the Mahabad Garrison was under the control of the Komala and Democratic forces. He played a decisive role in confronting anti-revolutionary militant groups.⁠[8] His performance as division commander during that period drew the attention of Imam Khomeini (ra), who praised him in a speech to Army commanders on May 14, 1979, and urged him to continue his service.⁠[9] Zahirnejad was promoted to brigadier general in mid-1979.⁠[10] In early 1980, he became the Commander of the Iranian Gendarmerie, and on May 29, 1980, he was appointed Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Forces.⁠[11]

On August 15, 1980, the helicopter carrying Zahirnejad and then-President Seyyed Abolhassan Banisadr made a hard landing near Islamabad Gharb due to a technical failure, but none of the passengers were injured. In a message to Banisadr after the incident, Imam Khomeini (ra) described their survival as a sign of divine favor and proof of their sincerity in serving the country.⁠[12]

Before the Iran-Iraq War, and given the reports warning of an imminent Iraqi attack on Iran, Zahirnejad was among the military officials who believed Iraq lacked the capability to attack. In a meeting, while reacting to warnings about a possible Iraqi invasion, he confidently said: “Iraq would not dare to attack us”.⁠[13]

When the Iran-Iraq War started, Zahirnejad—who was in command of the Dezful front in the south—planned and executed the first major military operation, known as Operation “Naderi Bridge”. On October 15, 1980, an operation was carried out with the participation of popular forces, the Army, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) units, targeting enemy positions in the Shush–Dezful area, specifically the Aligerehzad Hills and the radar site. Initially, the Iraqi troops retreated seven kilometers, but they quickly regrouped and launched a heavy counterattack, reoccupying all the regained areas except for a small bridgehead west of the Karkheh River.⁠[14]

In May 1981, Brigadier General Zahirnejad traveled to North Korea with a group of Army officers to purchase ammunition, including different types of mortars.⁠[15]

In the early months of the war, disagreements arose between Major General Fallahi (Chief of the Joint Staff) and Major General Zahirnejad (Army Ground Forces Commander) over how to command the Khuzestan front. As a result, command in Khuzestan was divided: Zahirnejad took charge of the Dezful front, while Fallahi handled the Ahvaz front. This difference of opinion brought Banisadr and Zahirnejad closer together. Relying on Zahirnejad’s military views, Banisadr blocked the IRGC’s plan to break the siege of Abadan—a plan that, after Banisadr’s dismissal, was successfully carried out as Operation Thamen al-Aemmah (as).⁠[16] During Banisadr’s tenure as Commander-in-Chief, Zahirnejad, for military reasons, opposed the liberation of Susangerd and, on Banisadr’s orders, prevented the 2nd Brigade of the 92nd Khuzestan Division (Army) from joining the operation. In the end, when Imam Khomeini (ra) and Ayatollah Khamenei stepped in to resolve the issue, the brigade joined the operation.⁠[17]

Zahirnejad was one of the key commanders in Operations Tariq al-Quds (liberation of Bostan) and Fath al-Mubin (liberation of the Shush–Dehloran area). After each of these operations, Imam Khomeini (ra) sent messages praising Zahirnejad and the other commanders for their services.⁠[18]

After the martyrdom of Major General Valiollah Fallahi on September 29, 1981, Imam Khomeini (ra) appointed Zahirnejad as Chief of the Joint Staff of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army on October 1, 1981.⁠[19] Moreover, he authorized Zahirnejad to carry out his assigned missions and duties in consultation with the Presidency and granted him the prerogatives of the Leadership.⁠[20]

After the liberation of Khorramshahr, during a joint meeting of political and military officials with Imam Khomeini (ra), Zahirnejad disagreed with his view of continuing the war and stopping at the border. He argued that maintaining a ceasefire would require deploying large numbers of troops along the border, whereas with fewer forces, Iraq could be pinned down on the other side of the Arvand. He therefore supported continuing the war inside Iraqi territory after Khorramshahr’s liberation.⁠[21]

In October 1984, Zahirnejad resigned as the Chief of the Joint Staff. A few weeks later, he was appointed Imam Khomeini’s representative on the Supreme Defense Council.⁠[22] In May 1987, at the request of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei (then President and head of the Supreme Defense Council) and with Imam Khomeini’s approval (as Commander-in-Chief), Zahirnejad was promoted to major general.⁠[23]

After the end of the Iran-Iraq War, on October 30, 1989, Ayatollah Khamenei appointed Zahirnejad as head of the Military Advisors Group to the Commander-in-Chief.⁠[24]

Qasem-Ali Zahirnejad passed away on October 13, 1999, at the age of 75 due to a stroke. He was buried in Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery in Tehran.⁠[25]

Ayatollah Khamenei sent a message of condolence on his passing:

“In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

The brave and honorable commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, Major General Zahirnejad, who devoted many years to the jihad against the enemies of Islam and the nation, demonstrated countless acts of courage and sacrifice during the Sacred Defense and rendered outstanding service to the Islamic Republic at various high-ranking positions, has passed away. I offer my condolences on the passing of this noble soldier of Islam and proud supporter of the Islamic system to the armed forces—especially the Islamic Republic of Iran Army—and to his family. I pray to Almighty Allah to grant him divine forgiveness and to give patience and fortitude to his family”.⁠[26]

On May 22, 2000, in recognition of Major General Zahirnejad’s significant role as Chief of the Joint Staff in the early years of the Iran–Iraq War, the Commander‑in‑Chief posthumously awarded him the Order of Nasr.⁠[27] Also, in 2020, the Supreme Council of Army Medals of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army posthumously awarded Major General Zahirnejad the Sacrifice (Fadaakari) Medal.⁠[28] In Ardabil, a statue of Zahirnejad stands in the Artesh Square, and a street and a vocational high school have been named after him.⁠[29]