
Habibollah Sayyari (1955-) was a Rear Admiral of Iran who served as Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy from 2007 to 2017, succeeding Sajjad Kouchaki and preceding Hossein Khanzadi. He was the leader of the Iranian Navy fleet of around 8 ships sent to the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Yemen for "anti-piracy operations" on 18 April 2015.
Biography[]
Habibollah Sayyari enlisted in the Iranian Navy in 1974, and he was arrested during the Iranian Revolution. After the Islamic Republic of Iran took power, Sayyari was made a commander of the navy, and he was a veteran of the 75-month Iran-Iraq War. Holding the title of Flotilla Admiral, he commanded the navy of Iran during the Yemeni Civil War. In April 2015, he steamed to the Gulf of Aden with around 8 ships for "anti-piracy operations", although he was suspected of attempting to resupply the Houthis against Saudi Arabia. On 21 April, the United States sent 9 ships to monitor the movements of his fleet.