Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has appointed six senior military and IRGC officials to fill vacancies left by commanders killed in recent strikes tied to Operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury. Key moves include Ali Abdollahi as chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces and Ahmad Vahidi as head of the IRGC, with Mostafa Izadi as his deputy. Several appointees are under US, EU or UK sanctions, and Tehran has deployed heavy security forces across the city amid heightened tensions.
Khamenei Names Six New Military and IRGC Leaders as Tehran Tightens Security
An Iranian Shiite Muslim pilgrim walks past banners of Iran
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Monday issued decrees appointing six senior military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) figures to fill leadership vacancies created after commanders were killed in strikes linked to Operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury.
Key Appointments
Ali Abdollahi was named chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces, with Kioumars Heydari as his deputy. Abdollahi, who has been sanctioned by the United States since 2020, previously led the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters and has a long record within Iran's security and governance structures dating back to the post-1979 revolution period.
Ahmad Vahidi was appointed head of the IRGC, with Mostafa Izadi as his deputy. Vahidi has been widely reported to have increased influence over Iran's security policy; he has also been linked by authorities to the 1994 AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people. Izadi is a long-serving IRGC commander with decades of operational experience and, according to Iranian reporting, has led cyber and emerging-threats efforts at the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.
Ali Azmaei was named head of the IRGC Navy, replacing Alireza Tangsiri, who was killed in March. Azmaei, sanctioned by the US since 2019, commanded the IRGC Navy's Fifth Naval Region and has held senior regional naval roles since 2012.
Armored vehicles equipped with heavy machine guns and armed IRGC forces with their faces covered have been deployed across the streets of Tehran, with martial law effectively imposed. (credit: Courtesy)
Hossein Taeb was appointed commander of the IRGC's Basij paramilitary force. Taeb has been under US sanctions since 2010 for his role in suppressing protests. His new mandate reportedly emphasizes strengthening the Basij's public-intelligence network, expanding neighborhood organization, and exploiting modern technologies.
In advisory moves, Mohsen Rezaee — who led the IRGC from 1981 to 1997 — was named Khamenei's representative on the Supreme National Security Council. Rezaee is reportedly wanted by Interpol in connection with the 1994 bombing in Argentina. Mohammed Bagher Zolghadr, a long-serving IRGC official and former deputy chief, was appointed as Khamenei's political adviser.
Sanctions and Backgrounds
Several appointees carry sanctions imposed by the United States, the EU or the UK dating from 2010 through 2023, reflecting their roles in internal security operations and regional activities. Many of the named figures have long careers stretching back to the Iran-Iraq War and the early years of the Islamic Republic, and some were already acting in de facto leadership roles before receiving formal published appointments.
Security On The Ground
Tehran has shown visible signs of heightened security: armored vehicles equipped with heavy machine guns and IRGC personnel with covered faces have been deployed across the city, and authorities have effectively imposed martial-law-style measures on many streets.
Why it matters: These leadership changes consolidate experienced hardline commanders within Iran's military and security apparatus at a moment of elevated regional tensions, potentially shaping Tehran's operational and negotiation strategies going forward.
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