Mojtaba Khamenei approves 6 appointments in the Army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, with the General Staff among the most prominent - Sarmad
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a series of decrees on Monday covering senior leadership positions in the armed forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a move that reshapes Iran’s military command structure following the recent war that resulted in the assassination of numerous Iranian military leaders.
According to the Supreme Leader’s website, the decrees included six new appointments for commanders in key military posts, most notably the head of the Armed Forces General Staff, a position assigned to an IRGC general who led operations during the war.
Ali Abdollahi Appointed as Chief of General Staff
Khamenei appointed IRGC Major General Ali Abdollahi as Chief of General Staff, overseeing both the IRGC and the regular Iranian army. Abdollahi previously commanded the Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, the central operations room of the armed forces.
Keyumars Heidari was also appointed as Deputy Chief of the General Staff. Heidari formerly served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces.
Ahmad Vahidi Confirmed as IRGC Commander
Meanwhile, the Iranian Supreme Leader confirmed Ahmad Vahidi as the commander of the IRGC. Vahidi had been serving in this role informally since the assassination of his predecessor, Mohammad Bagheri, at the outset of the war in February. Additionally, IRGC Major General Mostafa Izadi was appointed as Deputy Commander of the IRGC.
Brigadier General Ali Azhami was appointed as commander of the IRGC Navy, succeeding Ali Reza Tangsiri, who was also assassinated during the war.
Hossein Taeb Appointed Head of Basij
Mojtaba Khamenei decided to appoint Hossein Taeb as head of the Basij Popular Mobilization Organization, a paramilitary force in Iran subordinate to the IRGC. Its primary mission is to protect the ruling system, ensure internal stability, and enforce the state’s ideological and security dominance.
Taeb had been dismissed from his position as head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization in June 2022, a move many observers linked to intelligence failures in countering Israeli security breaches within Iran. However, his dismissal did not mean his exit from the sphere of influence. He was immediately appointed as an advisor to the IRGC Commander-in-Chief and maintained close ties with the Supreme Leader’s office. Western research centers describe him as one of the most prominent members of the tight circle surrounding Mojtaba Khamenei.
Previously, on Sunday, the Supreme Leader had appointed Mohsen Rezaee as his representative on the Supreme Council of National Security.
Absence from the Public Eye
These appointments come amid continued ambiguity surrounding Mojtaba Khamenei’s public appearances since his selection as Supreme Leader. Since his election by the Assembly of Experts, he has not appeared at any public event, official meeting, or announced gathering. Although Iranian media broadcast a video clip yesterday showing him for a few seconds, the time and location of the meeting were not specified.
This prolonged absence has sparked widespread speculation regarding how the Supreme Leader’s office is managed and how it communicates with state institutions.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is the only official who has officially announced meeting with the new Supreme Leader. He stated today that their meeting lasted seven hours and focused on the war’s repercussions and sanctions.
