Frozen copy retrieved 2026-08-13T14:40:00Z for audit 2026-08-13T14-31-52Z. Original URL: https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/08/10/irans-supreme-leader-appoints-six-senior-military-commanders/. The Stochastic Parrot does not host or redistribute; this snapshot exists solely so that quoted spans remain verifiable if the original page changes. Character offsets below index into this plain text; highlighted spans are the quotes cited in the audit.

Iran's supreme leader appoints six senior military commanders

The National (UAE) · back to the audit
Iran's supreme leader appoints six senior military commanders
Move comes during US-Iran stand-off over reopening Strait of Hormuz

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has appointed six senior commanders to key positions in the country's armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij, according to decrees published by his office on Monday.

Maj Gen Ali Abdollahi was named chief of staff of the armed forces, replacing Lt Gen Abdul Rahim Mousavi, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes at the start of the war on February 28. Brig Gen Kiumars Heidari was named deputy chief of staff.

Brig Gen Ahmad Vahidi was promoted to the rank of major general and appointed commander-in-chief of the IRGC, replacing Lt Gen Mohammad Pakpour, while Maj Gen Mostafa Izadi was appointed deputy commander-in-chief of the paramilitary force.

Lt Gen Pakpour was also killed in air strikes targeting Iran's military leadership on February 28.

Admiral Ali Ozmaei was appointed commander of the IRGC Navy, replacing Alireza Tangsiri, who was killed in an Israeli air strike in March. Former IRGC intelligence chief Hossein Taeb was named head of the Basij, the paramilitary's volunteer force.

Mr Khamenei called for strengthening the armed forces' capabilities and readiness, developing their ability to respond to conventional and emerging military threats, and completing the planned merger of the Armed Forces General Staff and the Khatam Al Anbiya Central Headquarters.

Mr Khamenei also instructed Maj Gen Vahidi to strengthen the IRGC's deterrence capabilities and prepare it for what he described as "powerful offensive operations against the enemy".

On Sunday, the supreme leader appointed Mohsen Rezaei, a former head of the IRGC, as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

Mr Rezaei replaces Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as second-in-command of the body that co-ordinates Iran's security and foreign policy and is chaired by President Masoud Pezeshkian. Mr Zolghadr was appointed political adviser to Mr Khamenei.