Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has appointed six senior commanders to key positions in the armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij militia.
The appointments, announced on Monday, follow the deaths of several senior commanders in US-Israeli strikes since the start of the war on February 28. They suggest Mr Khamenei is opting for experience and continuity rather than a drastic overhaul of Iran’s military leadership. Here are brief profiles of the six:
Ahmad Vahidi – IRGC commander
Brig Gen Ahmad Vahidi was promoted to major general and appointed commander-in-chief of the IRGC, replacing Maj Gen Mohammad Pakpour, who was killed in the February 28 air strikes. He has held several senior military and government positions, including defence minister and interior minister.
Maj Gen Vahidi is regarded as a hardliner and has been a key figure in filling the power vacuum created by the deaths of senior Iranian leaders and commanders in the strikes. He had been serving as the IRGC’s effective commander since the start of the war.
Mr Khamenei instructed him to strengthen the IRGC’s deterrence capabilities and prepare the force for “powerful offensive operations against the enemy”.
Ali Abdollahi – armed forces chief of staff
Maj Gen Ali Abdollahi was appointed chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, replacing Lt Gen Abdul Rahim Mousavi, who was killed in the February 28 strikes. He is a senior IRGC commander and had been overseeing the armed forces’ General Staff during the war.
Ali Ozmaei – IRGC Navy commander
Adm Ali Ozmaei was appointed commander of the IRGC Navy, replacing Alireza Tangsiri, who was killed in an Israeli air strike in March. The IRGC Navy is responsible for Iran’s military operations in the Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Hossein Taeb – Basij commander
Hossein Taeb, a former head of the IRGC’s intelligence organisation, was appointed head of the Basij, the IRGC’s volunteer paramilitary force used to suppress internal dissent. He previously served as the organisation’s intelligence chief and has held senior positions within Iran’s security apparatus.
Kioumars Heydari – deputy chief of staff
Brig Gen Kioumars Heydari, formerly commander of the army’s ground forces, was appointed deputy chief of staff. He has held senior positions in Iran’s regular army, known as the Artesh.
Mostafa Izadi – IRGC deputy commander
Maj Gen Mostafa Izadi was appointed deputy commander-in-chief of the IRGC. He is a veteran commander who has held a number of senior positions in Iran’s military and security establishment.
The appointments came a day after Mr Khamenei named former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaei as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. Mr Rezaei commanded the IRGC from 1981 to 1997, including during much of the Iran-Iraq war.
