The office of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei announced Monday evening a slate of six senior military command appointments, including the formal confirmation of Ahmad Vahidi as commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Ali Abdollahi was named chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, with Kiyomarth Heydari as his deputy. The appointments solidify the new leadership structure following the death of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The office of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei announced a full slate of six senior military command appointments Monday evening, formalizing a command reshuffle that had been anticipated since the death of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The official confirmation includes the formal appointment of Ahmad Vahidi as commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), alongside new chiefs for the IRGC Navy, the Basij militia, and the armed forces general staff, among others.
The appointments were first reported earlier Monday evening by multiple sources. At 18:38 Jerusalem, Israeli media outlet N12 reported the appointment of Ali Abdollahi as commander of the armed forces, replacing the killed Abdolrahim Mousavi. Within the same minute, additional reports from Iranian state media and the Abu Ali Express channel expanded the list to include Ahmad Vahidi (previously acting IRGC commander), Mustafa Izadi as deputy IRGC commander, Ali Azmai as IRGC Navy chief, and Hossein Ta'ab as head of the Basij. A subsequent report at 18:38 added Kiyomarth Heydari as deputy chief of the General Staff — a role not mentioned in earlier accounts. The Zioneer provided further details at 18:49 and 18:53 Jerusalem, citing Abu Ali Express and Israeli reports. Monday evening's formal announcement from the Supreme Leader's office now confirms all six appointments, including the deputy chief position.
The appointments solidify the new military leadership structure under Mojtaba Khamenei, following the death of Ali Khamenei. As The Zioneer reported on July 2, IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi emerged from bunkers for senior coordination meetings ahead of the former supreme leader's funeral, marking the first such appearance since Operation Roaring Lion in February. The IRGC Navy command had been vacant since the killing of Ali Reza Tangsiri, with Ali Azmai's appointment formalized three months after his predecessor's reported elimination, The Zioneer reported on July 4. The appointments also come amid Iran raising its armed forces to the highest readiness level and transitioning to war protocols, as reported by the IRGC spokesman on August 1.
The announcement does not address other senior posts, such as the IRGC Quds Force commander or the intelligence ministry. The command structure under the new supreme leader continues to be filled out, and the full scope of the transition remains in development.
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