---
category: Intelligence & Government
summary: Colonel Mohammed Jalali was the Defense Minister of Iran.
tags:
- Person
- CIA
- NSA
- Israel
---

Colonel [Mohammed Jalali](/people/mohammed-jalali/) was the Defense Minister of [Iran](/places/iran/). He was a key figure in the [Iranian](/places/iran/) government's arms procurement during the [Iran-Iraq War](/events/iran-iraq-war/) and had direct dealings with [Israeli](/places/israel/) and [U.S.](/places/united-states/) officials.[^1]

[Jalali](/people/mohammed-jalali/) worked with the [Israeli Joint Committee](/organizations/iran-israel-joint-committee/) and was involved in negotiations for arms sales to [Iran](/places/iran/). In July 1987, he met with [Robert Gates](/people/robert-gates/) in Kansas City to seek assurances that arms supplies to [Iran](/places/iran/) would continue despite the [Iran-Contra Affair](/events/iran-contra-affair/) scandal. He also expressed concern about the [U.S.](/places/united-states/) supporting the supply of chemical weapons to [Iraq](/places/iraq/).[^1]

In late 1985, [Jalali](/people/mohammed-jalali/) was part of a faction within the [Iranian](/places/iran/) Supreme Council that was loyal to [Hojjat El-Islam Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani](/people/ali-akbar-hashemi-rafsanjani/). He opposed the [North](/people/oliver-north/)-[Nir](/people/amiram-nir/) second channel for arms sales to [Iran](/places/iran/), and [Rafsanjani](/people/ali-akbar-hashemi-rafsanjani/) assured [Israel](/places/israel/) that there would be no sales through these new people.[^1]

[Jalali](/people/mohammed-jalali/) was involved in the deal concerning the three C-130 aircraft. He requested these planes in exchange for the release of three [Israeli](/places/israel/) soldiers held in [Lebanon](/places/lebanon/). He also pushed for the payment to [Chile](/places/chile/) for F-5E aircraft and was in favor of leaking to the press that [Iran](/places/iran/) was in business with [Santiago](/places/santiago/).[^1]

[Jalali](/people/mohammed-jalali/) is mentioned as being retired and living in [Iran](/places/iran/) with a second home in [London](/places/london/) as of 1992.[^1]

[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992.