World News
Iran Says Khamenei Has Appointed a New Revolutionary Guards Commander
Mojtaba Khamenei announced a series of senior appointments across Iran’s armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij, including Ahmad Vahidi as commander of the Revolutionary Guards. The appointments also include Hossein Taib, who was removed from his post in 2022.
Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, announced a series of senior appointments within the Islamic Republic’s security leadership, including changes in the armed forces, the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij organization. According to official reports in Iran, the move includes six appointments to key positions in the country’s military and security establishment.
As part of the changes, Khamenei announced the appointment of Ali Abdollahi as commander of the armed forces, with Kiomars Heydari named as his deputy. In addition, Ahmad Vahidi was officially appointed commander of the Revolutionary Guards, with Mostafa Izadi selected as his deputy.
The changes extend beyond the leadership of the Revolutionary Guards and the armed forces. Ali Azmaei was appointed commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ navy, while the leadership of the Basij will be placed in the hands of Ayatollah Hossein Taib, a familiar figure in Iran’s security establishment.
Taib previously served as head of intelligence for the Revolutionary Guards, but was removed from his position in 2022 following a series of failures attributed to the apparatus he oversaw. Among other things, during his tenure the organization failed to prevent Israeli operations inside Iran and also failed in attempts to carry out retaliatory attacks against Israelis in Turkey and other countries. He is now returning to a senior role in the system, this time overseeing the leadership of the Basij.
Alongside the string of military appointments, official reports in Iran also said that Khamenei is appointing a new representative to the regime’s Supreme Security Council. The body has characteristics comparable to a cabinet in Israel and the United States, and the person selected for the role may, according to the reports, hint at the direction in which the conflict could develop.
The announcement of the appointments comes as Khamenei himself has yet to appear in public, even though the Iranian regime claims that he is directing the management of the country and the war. Despite his absence from public view, official reports portray him as continuing to make key decisions and shape Iran’s military and security leadership.
