Who are Tehran’s newly appointed military, IRGC chiefs? - explainer
Ali Abdollahi was appointed as chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces, with Kioumars Heydari named as his deputy.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei recently appointed six new military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials to leadership positions following the deaths of commanders in recent operations. Ali Abdollahi was appointed as chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces, replacing a commander killed in Operation Roaring Lion.
Kioumars Heydari was named his deputy. Abdollahi, who has a long career in the IRGC and Khamenei's inner circle, was among the first to join the military following the 1979 revolution and has held various positions within the IRGC and other military branches. Heydari, while relatively new to the IRGC, began his service as a volunteer member of the Basij paramilitary force and has been sanctioned by the US and UK.
Ahmad Vahidi was named head of the IRGC, with Mostafa Izadi as his deputy. Vahidi, known for his role in the 1994 Buenos Aires bombing of the AMIA building, has been sanctioned by the US and EU. Izadi, another long-time IRGC and military veteran, has served in various command positions and has a history of working closely with Khamenei.
Ali Azmaei was appointed head of the IRGC Navy, replacing a commander killed in an airstrike. Azmaei has commanded the IRGC Navy's Fifth Naval Region since its formation and has been sanctioned by the US. Hossein Taeb was named commander of the IRGC's Basij paramilitary forces, known for violently suppressing protests in 2009 and 2019-2022.
Khamenei also appointed Mohsen Rezaee as his representative on the Supreme National Security Council and Mohammed Bagher Zolghadr as Khamenei's political advisor. Rezaee, 71, is wanted by Interpol over his involvement in the 1994 Buenos Aires bombing.
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