TEHRAN – The family of martyr Lieutenant General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the assassinated commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, has issued a heartfelt message to Brigadier General Majid Mousavi, the newly appointed commander of the force, expressing full support and confidence in his leadership.

In their statement, General Hajizadeh’s wife, children, and relatives extended their congratulations to General Mousavi and prayed for his success, affirming their hope that the IRGC Aerospace Force would achieve even greater strength and readiness under his command, particularly in missile and drone capabilities, in line with the expectations of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.

“God willing, under your leadership, we will witness the further advancement of the IRGC Aerospace Force’s comprehensive capabilities and ever-increasing readiness,” the message read.

The family emphasized that the trust placed in General Mousavi by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, brought solace amid their grief, particularly as General Mousavi had been a long-time companion of both Martyr Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam and Martyr Hajizadeh from the early days of the IRGC’s missile development program.

“The Leader’s decision to entrust this vital position to someone who stood shoulder to shoulder with our martyr, from the formation of Iran’s missile tree to the very moment of his martyrdom, is a source of comfort for us,” they wrote.

Highlighting General Mousavi’s decades of service and foundational role in Iran’s missile program, the family expressed strong faith in his ability to continue the strategic path set forth by his predecessors.

The family closed their message by expressing gratitude for the Leader’s wise selection and presented General Mousavi with Martyr Hajizadeh’s personal ring, a symbolic gesture of allegiance and continuity.

Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who played a pivotal role in transforming Iran’s missile and aerospace capabilities into a formidable regional force, was martyred in a Zionist airstrike in Tehran in the early hours of June 13, 2025.

Over the years, General Hajizadeh was central to developing Iran’s indigenous missile programs and strengthening its strategic deterrence. His visionary leadership helped shape a modern, self-reliant aerospace doctrine that shifted the regional balance in favor of the Islamic Republic.

Appointed commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force in 2010 by Ayatollah Khamenei, General Hajizadeh elevated the unit into a strategic pillar of Iran’s defense architecture, especially through innovations in precision-strike technology and drone warfare.

Among his most significant military achievements was leading Iran’s retaliatory missile operations against the Israeli regime in 2024 — including Operation True Promise I and Operation True Promise II — in response to the targeted killings of Resistance figures. These operations struck sensitive Israeli military and intelligence centers and were widely hailed in Iranian media as a powerful demonstration of Iran’s deterrent capability.

General Hajizadeh was also responsible for overseeing earlier operations such as the 2017 Laylat al-Qadr missile strike against Daesh positions in Syria, following the ISIS attack on Iran’s Parliament and Imam Khomeini’s shrine.

In recognition of his leadership and strategic acumen, Ayatollah Khamenei awarded General Hajizadeh the Order of Fath, one of Iran’s highest military honors.

With his martyrdom now marking a new chapter in the Aerospace Force’s history, his family’s message to General Mousavi affirms the resilience of the institution and its enduring commitment to defending the Iranian nation and the broader Islamic world.