Ahmad Vahidi

Early life and education

Vahid Shah Cheraghi was born on 27 June 1958 in Shiraz. He holds a bachelor's degree in electronics and a master's degree in industrial engineering. He acquired a doctorate in strategic studies from Imam Sadegh University.

Career

Vahidi joined the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 1979.

Vahidi was appointed deputy minister of defense in 2005 when Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar became minister of defense. He was in office until 2009. In August 2009, he was appointed minister of defense by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He received 79.3% of the votes of the members of the parliament. Vahidi's term ended on 15 August 2013 and Hossein Dehghan replaced him in the post.

He was appointed the temporary chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps following the death of Hossein Salami during the June 2025 Israeli strikes on Iran.

Controversies

Vahidi has been wanted by Interpol since 2007 for his alleged participation in the bombing of the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 18 July 1994, in which 85 people were killed. Vahidi was serving as the commander of a special unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guard known as the Quds Force when the attack took place. while Argentine prosecutors accuse him of involvement in planning and executing the attack. In June 2010, Vahidi was blacklisted by the U.S government. This measure aims to freeze the assets of proliferators of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their supporters, thereby isolating them from the U.S. financial and commercial systems.

In May 2011, Vahidi paid an official visit to Bolivia. In June 2011, Bolivia apologized to Argentina for Vahidi visiting the country, and announced that he would be leaving the country immediately.

In August 2021, Vahidi was made Interior Minister by the then-newly elected president Ebrahim Raisi. This triggered condemnation from Argentina given his suspected role in the 1994 AMIA bombing, with the now-former head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Argentina describing the appointment of Vahidi as "an insult to Argentina and a blow to the families of the victims" of the bombing. The Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, California also issued a statement calling the appointment a setback for the families of the attack victims.

In April 2024, Argentina's criminal court (Court of Cassation) ruled that the attack had been planned by Iran, and carried out by the Iran-backed organization Hezbollah. In May 2024 the Argentine Foreign Ministry officially announced that Interpol had issued a red notice for the arrest of Vahidi in connection with the 1994 AMIA bombing. This red notice states that Vahidi is being sought by Argentina for charges of alleged aggravated murder and damages.

References

References

1. (23 August 2009). "Behind the Headlines: Iran's terrorist defense minister". Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2. Alfoneh, Ali. (2021-06-03). "The Evolution of Iran's Qods Force Since 1979".
3. (21 August 2009). "Iran defense minister a terror suspect". The Washington Times.
4. Kenneth Katzman. (6 February 2017). "Iran's Foreign and Defense Policies". Federation of American Scientists.
5. (3 August 2016). "Iran News Round Up – August 3, 2016". AEI Critical Threats Project.
6. Sahimi, Mohammad. (1 August 2012). "The IRGC Strategic Brain Trust Part 1: Ghasem Soleimani and Ahmad Vahidi". PBS.
7. (18 August 2013). "Iran's ex-defense minister claims country is world's sixth missile power". Fox News.
8. (7 September 2009). "A Brief Biography of Iran's New Ministers". Payvand.
9. Fulton, Will. (7 August 2013). "Rouhani's Cautious Pick For Defense Minister". Al Monitor.
10. "By EXECUTIVE ORDER OF THE SUPREME LEADER, Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has been appointed as TEMPORARY COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE IRGC".
11. (3 September 2009). "Iran Parliament Approves Minister Wanted in Deadly Jewish Center Bombing". Fox News.
12. (16 November 2007). "Argentina: More international arrest warrants issued for 1994 Jewish center bombing". South American Political and Economic Affairs.
13. (3 October 2010). "Iran rejects as "baseless" Argentina's accusation it was involved in bombing". KUNA.
14. "What to Know About the New Head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps". New York Times.
15. "U.S. Treasury Department Targets Iran's Nuclear and Missile Programs". US Treasury Department.
16. Yapp. (1 June 2011). "Iran defense minister forced to leave Bolivia over 1994 Argentina bombing". The Telegraph.
17. "Bolivia apologizes to Argentina for Iran minister visit". BBC News.
18. "Buenos Aires Times | Government condemns appointment of Iranian minister linked to AMIA attack".
19. "Argentina seeks arrest of Iranian minister over 1994 bombing". BBC News.
20. Torres, Abel Alvarado, Mauricio. (2024-04-24). "Argentina seeks arrest of Iranian minister over 1994 bombing of Jewish community center".