Khamenei names new Iran military, IRGC chiefs after commanders killed in Israeli-US strikes

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has issued decrees appointing six new officials to senior military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) positions. These changes follow the deaths of their predecessors in operations attributed to Israeli-US strikes, specifically "Roaring Lion" and "Epic Fury."

Among the key appointments, Ahmad Vahidi was named head of the IRGC, and Ali Abdollahi was appointed as chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces. Kioumars Heydari will serve as Abdollahi's deputy, while Mostafa Izadi will be Vahidi's deputy. Additionally, Ali Ozmaei was named head of the IRGC Navy, and Hossein Taeb was appointed commander of the IRGC's Basij paramilitary force.

Notably, Vahidi and Ozmaei had already been acting in their respective IRGC and IRGC Navy leadership roles, but these decrees mark their official appointments from the Supreme Leader's Office. The reshuffle also extends to political appointments, with Khamenei naming two figures instrumental in the IRGC's formation to senior political roles.

Mohsen Rezaee, who led the IRGC from 1981 to 1997, was appointed as Khamenei's representative on the Supreme National Security Council. Mohammed Bagher Zolghadr, a long-serving IRGC official, was appointed as Khamenei's political advisor. These appointments signal a restructuring within Iran's military and political leadership in the wake of recent escalations.