A Wave of Appointments by Khamenei Reshapes IRGC Leadership

The Iranian Supreme Leader's website reported that Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei issued new decisions appointing high-ranking military leaders, including naming Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi as commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), following the killing of several senior military commanders during the recent war.

According to the decisions, Major General Ali Abdullahi was appointed head of the Armed Forces General Staff, succeeding Major General Abdolrehaman Mousavi, who was assassinated by Israel during the recent war that erupted on February 28.

Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi was also appointed supreme commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and granted the rank of major general, succeeding Major General Mohammad Bagherpour, who was killed during the conflict with the United States and Israel.

The appointments also included Brigadier General Keyumars Heidari as deputy head of the Armed Forces General Staff, Major General Mostafa Izadi as deputy supreme commander of the IRGC, Admiral Ali Azamai as commander of the IRGC Navy, and Hussein Taei as head of the Popular Mobilization Organization (Basij).

Khamenei emphasized in his appointment decision for Ali Abdullahi the necessity of enhancing the defense, security readiness, and capabilities of the armed forces and Basij, and strengthening the ability to respond promptly to various military, security, informational, and hybrid threats.

In his appointment decision for Ahmad Vahidi, Khamenei stressed the need to strengthen the IRGC’s capabilities to achieve the highest level of deterrence and prepare for conducting strong offensive operations against what he described as the "enemy".

These changes in Iran’s military leadership come after the recent war, amid a reorganization of the top command structure of the armed forces and the IRGC, reflecting an effort to replace commanders killed in combat and enhance the overall readiness of Iran’s military system.