Ahmad Pourdastan

Ahmad Reza Pourdastan (; born 1961) is an Iranian general serving as the head of the Strategic Studies and Research Center of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army. Previously he was the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Artesh.

Biography Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan was born in Ahvaz, Khuzestan province. He completed his education from primary school up to his high school diploma in Ahvaz. Following the outbreak of the Iran–Iraq War, he joined the Basij force as a volunteer. In 1980, after passing the national university entrance exam, he entered the Imam Ali Officers' Academy. He began his official career in the Army Ground Forces upon graduating from the academy in 1983. Pourdastan completed his advanced course in 1992 at the Shiraz Infantry Center and finished his DAFOOS course in 1996.

Holding the rank of colonel, he commanded the 25th Northwestern Commando Brigade of the Army Ground Forces (NEZAJA) between 1999 and 2000. In 2001, with the rank of second brigadier general, he became the commander of the 84th Lorestan Division and served in this role until 2003. He commanded the 77th Khorasan Division from 2003 to 2005, served as the commander of the Imam Ali Officers' Academy for less than a year from 2005 to 2006, and was the regional Army commander for the provinces of Lorestan, Kohgiluyeh and Boyerahmad, Khorasan, and Fars from 2006 to 2007.

Pourdastan held the position of Deputy Commander of the Army Ground Forces for one year from 2007 to 2008, and subsequently commanded the Army Ground Forces from 2008 to 2016. He assumed the role of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army in 2016, until Brigadier General Mohammad-Hossein Dadras replaced him in November 2017. Pourdastan has been serving as the Head of the Army Center for Strategic Studies and Research from 2017 to the present day.