Kamal Habibollahi

Kamal Habibollahi (Persian: کمال حبیب‌اللهی‎, born 1930 Astara - died 2016 Reston) was the last Commander of the Imperial Iranian Navy until the Islamic Revolution and was the last CNO under Pahlavi dynasty.[3] He also several held minister positions in the military government of Gholam Reza Azhari in 1978.

Timsar

Kamal Habibollahi
Birth nameMir-Kamaloddin Mir-Habibollahi[1]
Born1 February 1930
Astara, Persia
Died11 October 2016 (aged 86)[2]
Reston, United States
Buried
United States
AllegianceIran
Service/branchNavy
Years of service1949–1979
RankVice admiral
Commands held
Battles/wars
Alma materU.S. Naval War College
Naval Postgraduate School
Royal Naval Academy
Officers' School
Minister of Culture and Art
Acting
In office
11 November 1978 – 22 November 1978
MonarchMohammadreza Shah Pahlavi
Prime MinisterGholam Reza Azhari
Preceded byMohsen Foroughi
Succeeded byMohsen Foroughi
Minister of Education
Acting
In office
11 November 1978 – 22 November 1978
MonarchMohammadreza Shah Pahlavi
Prime MinisterGholam Reza Azhari
Preceded byManouchehr Ganji
Succeeded byMohammad Reza Ameli Tehrani
Minister of Culture and Higher Education
Acting
In office
11 November 1978 – 22 November 1978
MonarchMohammadreza Shah Pahlavi
Prime MinisterGholam Reza Azhari
Preceded byAbolfazl Qazi
Succeeded byShamsoddin Mofidi

Early life

Kamal was born in 1930 in Astara. His father was Mir-Ketab-Allah, who was dedicated land to build the «Mosque of Gharib al-Ghuraba» in Astara in 1910. He was buried at that mosque's yard.[4]

Career

He was a graduate of the Royal Navy Officer Program, U.S. Naval Post Graduate School, and U.S. Naval War College. He rose through the ranks of the Navy and ultimately served as the Commander of the Imperial Iranian Navy. He played a leading role in the development of the Chahbahar naval port.[5]

He resigned from this role upon the collapse of the Bakhtiar government. An outspoken critic of the incoming Khomeini regime and radical Islam, he was forced to flee the country due to the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

In August 1981, he led a group of people loyal to Azadegan Organization in seizing the Tabarzin, an Iranian navy missile cruiser, off the coast of Spain, in order to draw attention to the continued resistance to Khomeini and Radical Islam.[6] After the revolution, he resided in the Washington D.C. area of the United States and continued to promote attention to free Iran causes, as well as warn against the dangers of global Islamic extremism and terrorism through speeches at universities, military academies, panels, and both US and Iranian media outlets.[3]

References
  1. Neʻmat Allahī, Behrūz (2001). Tārīkh-e jāmeʻ-e Āstārā va ḥukkām-e Namīn (in Persian) (1st ed.). Ardabil: Nashr-e Sheykh Safī. p. Annex 27. ISBN 964-6822-12-6.
  2. "Darydar Kamal Habibollahi, last Navy commander of Mohammed Reza Shah, dies". Peter II, Khan-e-Mazendaran. 11 October 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  3. "Documents detail Israel missile deal with the Shah", Elaine Sciolino, 1 April 1986, The New York Times.
  4. Neʻmat Allahī, Behrūz (2001). Tārīkh-e jāmeʻ-e Āstārā va ḥukkām-e Namīn (in Persian) (1st ed.). Ardabil: Nashr-e Sheykh Safī. p. 74. ISBN 964-6822-12-6.
  5. "Interview with Habibolahi, Kamal: Tape 01". Iranian Oral History Project - CURIOSity Digital Collections. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  6. "Iran: Piracy, Protests And Polemics", David S. Jackson; Sandra Burton; George Russell, Time Magazine, 24 August 1981. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
Military offices
Preceded by
Abbas Ramzi Attaie		 Commander of the Imperial Iranian Navy
7 January 1976 — 11 February 1979		 Succeeded by
Cpt. Afsaripour
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