Shaul Mofaz (born 4 November 1948 in Tehran, Iran) is a retired Israeli military officer and politician of Iranian Jewish ancestry. He immigrated to Israel and joined the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in 1966, serving in the Paratroopers Brigade and the elite special forces unit Sayeret Matkal. Mofaz participated in major conflicts including the Six-Day War (1967), Yom Kippur War (1973), Operation Entebbe (1976), and the 1982 Lebanon War, rising through the ranks to become the 16th Chief of Staff of the IDF from 1998 to 2002. Following his military career, Mofaz entered politics, serving as Minister of Defense from 2002 to 2005 under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. He was a prominent member of the Kadima party, which he helped found, and later associated with Likud. Mofaz served as a Member of the Knesset from 2006 to 2015, holding positions such as Deputy Prime Minister from 2006 to 2009 and again in 2012. His career bridged military leadership and centrist politics in Israel.