Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has appointed Revolutionary Guards General Ali Abdollahi as chief of the General Staff, according to reports Monday evening. The appointment expands the military reshuffle announced earlier in the day.
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei appointed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps General Ali Abdollahi as chief of the General Staff Monday evening, a move that formalizes the military reshuffle by underscoring the Guards' expanding influence over Iran's command structure, according to reports. The announcement, at approximately 19:27 Jerusalem, came after earlier reports had named Abdollahi to the post without specifying his IRGC affiliation.
The appointment is the latest in a series of senior military command changes announced Monday evening. At 18:38 Jerusalem, Khamenei confirmed six top appointments, including Ahmad Vahidi as IRGC commander, Abdollahi as chief of the General Staff, and Kiyomarth Heydari as his deputy, along with other roles. The Zioneer's bulletin at 19:06 Jerusalem reported the expanded slate. The current update specifies that Abdollahi, previously identified as commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, is an IRGC general, highlighting the Guards' deepening grip on the military hierarchy.
The reshuffle follows reported Israeli operations that have eliminated senior Iranian commanders, as The Zioneer reported on June 8 and June 9. It also aligns with a broader pattern of IRGC consolidation: on June 30, The Zioneer reported, citing a senior Iranian source, that Khamenei has been purging government officials and replacing them with IRGC figures.
It remains unclear whether the appointments have been formally announced by Iranian state media beyond initial reports from the Tasnim agency and other outlets. The precise scope of Abdollahi's authority as an IRGC-affiliated chief of the General Staff has not been independently confirmed.
5 developments
- DevelopingIRGC replaces Saeed Jalili as commander of its forward HQ; Ali Bagheri Kani appointed
- DevelopingSenior Iranian official: Khamenei purges government officials, replaces them with IRGC figures
- DevelopingKhamenei fires Iranian oil minister, replaces him with IRGC official
- StrongIRGC official sources say Khamenei ordered Vahidi to prepare 'aggressive' attack on Israel
Source and signal
- Open-source intake