TEHRAN — Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei issued separate decrees on Monday appointing six senior military commanders and officials to key positions in the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), and the Basij Organization.

Under the appointments, Major General Ali Abdollahi has been named Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces following the martyrdom of his predecessor, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, in a US-Israeli airstrike.

Ayatollah Khamenei, who serves as Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces, said the appointment was made in view of Mousavi’s “glorious and honorable martyrdom” at the hands of the Zionist-American enemy and in appreciation of Abdollahi’s worthy services and valuable experience.

The Leader stressed the need to boost the comprehensive and up-to-date defense and security capabilities of the Armed Forces. He called for preparing the ground for timely, revolutionary, and effective responses to all levels and types of conventional and emerging threats, including military, cognitive, and hybrid threats against the country. 

The Leader also named Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari as |General Abdollahi’s deputy. He said the appointment was made upon the recommendation of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. Ayatollah Khamenei outlined key expectations for Heydari’s new position, including contributing to the enhancement of the Armed Forces’ defense and security capabilities, strengthening their spiritual foundations and addressing the welfare and livelihood needs of military personnel.

Ayatollah Khamenei also appointed Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, who was promoted to Major General, as Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC.

The Leader said the appointment came in view of former IRGC commander Major General Mohammad Pakpour’s “honorable and proud martyrdom” at the hands of the Zionist-American enemy.

Ayatollah Khamenei tasked Vahidi with leading the IRGC “under the circumstances that the Islamic establishment is engaged in a strategic and decisive confrontation with global arrogance.”

The decree called on Vahidi to enhance Iran’s military capabilities to achieve maximum deterrence and maintain smart readiness for powerful offensive operations against enemies. Major General Mostafa Izadi was named his deputy.

Rear Admiral Ali Ozmaei has been appointed Commander of the IRGC Navy, replacing Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, who was martyred in the US-Israeli aggression.

Meanwhile, Hojjatoleslam Hossein Taeb has been named head of the Basij Organization. In 2009, he was appointed head of the IRGC’s intelligence wing and served in that position until 2022, when he was replaced by Mohammad Kazemi. He was then appointed as an adviser to the IRGC Commander-in-Chief.