Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has carried out his first major changes to the country’s military leadership, appointing senior commanders to head the Armed Forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Khamenei named Revolutionary Guards General Ali Abdollahi as the new Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, while Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi was appointed commander-in-chief of the IRGC with the rank of major general.
The appointments were announced on Monday through a statement published on the Supreme Leader’s official website.
The changes come shortly after Mojtaba Khamenei assumed Iran’s highest political and religious office following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in US-Israeli strikes amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Abdollahi brings extensive military experience to the position. He previously headed the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the command structure responsible for coordinating Iran’s armed forces.
His elevation comes as Iran faces heightened regional tensions and continued confrontation involving the United States and Israel.
Abdollahi has previously issued stern warnings to countries in the region against allowing their territories or facilities to be used in support of US military operations against Iran.
He warned earlier this month that countries providing such support could become involved in the conflict.
Vahidi, the new head of the IRGC, will oversee one of Iran’s most influential military and security institutions. The elite force plays a major role in the country’s defence strategy as well as its regional military activities.
The appointments give Mojtaba Khamenei an opportunity to reshape Iran’s military command at the beginning of his tenure as Supreme Leader.
They also come at a critical period for Tehran, with tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel continuing to shape the region’s security landscape.
The new military leadership is therefore expected to influence Iran’s response to external threats and its broader defence strategy in the months ahead.
