New Delhi: Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has ordered a major overhaul of the country’s military and security leadership, filling several senior
positions left vacant after the deaths of top commanders during the war with the US and Israel.
Major General Ali Abdollahi has been appointed chief of staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, while Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has been named commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The appointments form part of a wider reshuffle involving six senior military positions.
The changes come at a critical moment for Iran, with the country still facing military and security threats due to its ongoing conflict with the US-Israel alliance. The appointments also give the new Supreme Leader an opportunity to place experienced and trusted commanders at the centre of Iran’s post-war security structure.
Who are Ali Abdollahi and Ahmad Vahidi?
Abdollahi is a veteran Iranian military commander who has held several senior positions within the security establishment. Before taking over as armed forces chief, he served as commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran’s main military command centre. He has also held senior posts in the General Staff and previously commanded units of the IRGC.
Vahidi, meanwhile, is a long-time figure in Iran’s security establishment. He previously commanded the IRGC’s Quds Force before Qassem Soleimani, and later served as Iran’s defence minister and interior minister. He now takes charge of the IRGC after the death of its previous commander, Mohammad Pakpour.
The appointments are significant because the IRGC is far more than a conventional military force. It is a central pillar of Iran’s political and security system and oversees the country’s missile forces, strategic military capabilities and regional network of allied armed groups.
Mohsen Rezaei gets key national security role
Alongside the military reshuffle, Mojtaba Khamenei has also elevated another veteran of Iran’s security establishment. Former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaei has been appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), replacing Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr.
The SNSC is one of Iran’s most important decision-making bodies on national security, defence and foreign policy. Its secretary coordinates the council’s work and acts as an important link between Iran’s military, intelligence and political institutions.
Rezaei, 71, brings decades of military and political experience to the position. He joined the IRGC after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and became its commander at the age of 27. He led the Guards through much of the Iran-Iraq War before later moving into politics and government. He subsequently served as secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council and as vice president for economic affairs.
His appointment is particularly notable because of his hardline positions on relations with the US. Rezaei has been sceptical of negotiations with Washington and reportedly opposed a ceasefire during the ongoing conflict. He had also recently served as a military adviser to Mojtaba Khamenei.
