It will be the fifth time in 32 years he has held the role.

The 67-year-old Sajjadi previously was Chef de Mission for Iran's team at Seoul 1988, Atlanta 1996, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. 

He has also been Chef de Mission at several editions of the Asian Games, including last year in Jakarta-Palembang when Iran finished sixth overall with a total of 62 medals, their highest total ever apart from at Tehran 1974.

Sajjadi had also led Iran at Seoul 1986, Beijing 1990, Hiroshima 1994, Bangkok 1998 and Doha 2006. 

Sajjadi is one of Iran's most experienced sports administrators.

He was the country's acting Sports Minister in 2016 and is a previous secretary general of the National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Iran and President of the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran.

Iran finished 25th overall in the medals at Rio 2016, winning a total of eight medals, including three gold.

Their best performance came at London 2012 when they won 13 medals, five of them gold, to finish 15th overall.

Iran made their Olympic debut at Paris 1900 but then did not compete again until Berlin 1936.

They also boycotted the Olympics at Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984.

Iran has targetted its best-ever Olympic performance at Tokyo 2020 but preparations suffered an early setback this week when one of their main medal hopes, weightlifter Sohrab Moradi, was ruled out by injury for up to nine months. 

it has left his preparations to defend the Olympic 94 kilograms title he won at Rio 2016 in doubt.