Iran’s new leader reshuffles top military posts
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has announced six senior military appointments across the armed forces and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. Major General Ali Abdollahi was named chief of staff of the armed forces, with the task of strengthening defense and security capabilities, preparing responses to conventional, cognitive and hybrid threats, and advancing integration between the armed forces general staff and the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters. The appointment came after the killing of his predecessor in a US-Israeli airstrike, and the new chief was told to help improve coordination, readiness and long-term military planning.
Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi was appointed IRGC commander and promoted to major general, with orders to boost deterrence, maintain readiness for offensive operations, and reinforce the IRGC’s cultural and organizational foundations. He was also instructed to strengthen the corps’ spiritual and scientific basis while keeping it prepared for what the leader described as a strategic confrontation. Brigadier General Kioumars Heidari was selected as deputy chief of staff of the armed forces, with responsibility for improving defense capacity and addressing the welfare needs of military personnel, along with strengthening morale and discipline.
Major General Mostafa Izadi became deputy IRGC commander, with an expected role in expanding organizational readiness and helping the force remain prepared for future challenges. Rear Admiral Ali Ozamaei was named commander of the IRGC Navy, with instructions to improve training, equipment, intelligence command, combat readiness and coordination with other branches. Hojjatoleslam Hossein Taeb was appointed head of the Basij Organization, with a mandate to expand the Basij’s role, strengthen its intelligence network and modernize training to counter enemy threats while deepening the culture of resistance.
