As Chief of the General Staff from 1944 to 1946, he authorized the supply of weapons to the Shahsavan tribesmen who opposed the autonomous government of Azerbaijan. In early 1946, Arfa was instrumental in gathering signatures of parliamentary deputies for a petition supporting Iran's complaint before the United Nations Security Council that Soviet forces continued to occupy northern Iran in contravention of an agreement to withdraw. Arfa's actions placed him in the camp of political leaders who tended to perceive malevolent intentions in Soviet policies but benign intentions in British policies.
As Chief of the General Staff, Arfa authorized the provision of arms to the Shahsavan tribesmen resisting Azerbaijan's autonomous government. In early 1946, he played a crucial role in gathering support from parliamentary deputies for Iran's complaint before the United Nations Security Council, arguing that Soviet forces remained in northern Iran despite an agreement to withdraw. This stance positioned Arfa among leaders who viewed Soviet actions as hostile but British actions as harmless.