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

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei appointed six new military and IRGC commanders on Monday, filling posts left vacant after their predecessors were killed in Israeli-US strikes during operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury. Ali Abdollahi was named chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces, with Kioumars Heydari as deputy. Ahmad Vahidi was formally appointed IRGC chief, with Mostafa Izadi as deputy. Ali Ozmaei was named IRGC Navy head, and Hossein Taeb commander of the Basij paramilitary. Vahidi and Ozmaei had been acting in their roles without official appointment. The appointments follow a Sunday statement naming Mohsen Rezaee as Khamenei's representative on the Supreme National Security Council and Mohammed Bagher Zolghadr as political advisor.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Monday issued decrees appointing six military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials to leadership positions, filling vacancies left after their predecessors were killed in Israeli-US strikes during operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury. Ali Abdollahi was appointed as chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces, with Kioumars Heydari named as his deputy. Ahmad Vahidi was formally named as head of the IRGC, with Mostafa Izadi as his deputy. Ali Ozmaei was named as head of the IRGC Navy, and Hossein Taeb was named as commander of the IRGC's Basij paramilitary. Notably, Vahidi and Ozmaei had already been operating in their respective roles, but without official published appointment from the Supreme Leader's Office. These appointments follow Sunday's statement attributed to Khamenei naming two figures who played key roles in the formation of the IRGC to senior political positions: Mohsen Rezaee, who commanded the IRGC from 1981 until 1997, was appointed as Khamenei's representative on the Supreme National Security Council, and Mohammed Bagher Zolghadr, who held several senior positions across the IRGC since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, was appointed as Khamenei's political advisor.