Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, visits Hezbollah's office in Tehran, Iran, October 1, 2024. Photo: WANA.
Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei appoints six senior commanders to key positions in Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff, IRGC, and Basij.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei, has issued separate orders appointing six senior commanders to key positions in Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), and the Basij.
Under the appointments, Brigadier General Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, was appointed Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, while Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari was named Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Amir Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari
In view of your commitment, competence & valuable experience, and upon Chief of Staff's recommendation, I hereby appoint you to the position of Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.
— Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (@MKhamenei_ir) August 10, 2026
Before his latest appointment, Abdollahi served as commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters. He previously commanded the IRGC Ground Forces and served as deputy commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force. He also served as deputy coordinator and later deputy commander of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces.
Major General Pilot Ali Abdollahi
In view of the proud and glorious martyrdom of LtGen Mousavi at the hands of the Zionist-American enemy, and in consideration of your commendable services and valuable experience, I hereby appoint you as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.
— Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (@MKhamenei_ir) August 10, 2026
Abdollahi also held several civilian positions, serving as governor of Semnan and Gilan provinces before becoming deputy for security affairs at the Interior Ministry.
In separate orders, Khamenei appointed Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi as commander-in-chief of the IRGC, promoting him to the rank of major general. Brigadier General Mostafa Izadi was appointed deputy commander-in-chief of the IRGC.
Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi
In view of the martyrdom of LtGen Pakpour at the hands of Zionist-American enemy, in consideration of your services & experience, I hereby promote you to the position of Major General and appoint you to the position of Commander-in-Chief of IRGC.
— Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (@MKhamenei_ir) August 10, 2026
Vahidi previously served as Interior Minister under the government of late President Ebrahim Raisi and had earlier headed the Defense Ministry. He is also considered the first commander of the Quds Force and is a full member of Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council.
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Major General Mostafa Izadi
In view of your commitment, competence & valuable experience & upon IRGC Commander-in-Chief's recommendation, I hereby appoint you to the position of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of IRGC.
— Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (@MKhamenei_ir) August 10, 2026
The appointments also named Brigadier General Ali Ozmaei, commander of the IRGC Navy, to lead the naval force, while cleric Hossein Taeb was appointed head of the Basij Organization.
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Rear Adm. Ali Ozmaei
In view of martyrdom of Rear Adm. Tangsiri, in consideration of your commitment, competence & experience, upon recommendation of IRGC's Commander-in-Chief, I hereby appoint you as Commander of IRGC Navy.
— Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (@MKhamenei_ir) August 10, 2026
Ozmaei previously served as deputy commander of the IRGC’s First Naval District before being appointed commander of the Fifth Naval District, headquartered in Bandar Lengeh in Hormozgan Province. He later became deputy commander of the IRGC Navy.
Taeb previously held several senior positions, most notably serving as head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization.
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The appointments come a day after Sayyed Khamenei appointed Major General Mohsen Rezaei as his representative to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and named Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as his political adviser.
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Dr. Mohsen Rezaee
Considering your valuable experience, I am hereby appointing you, who were one of the first commanders in the triumphant 8-Year Sacred Defense, to be my representative in the Supreme National Security Council.— Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (@MKhamenei_ir) August 9, 2026
At the same time, Iranian presidential aide for public relations Mehdi Tabatabaei announced that President Masoud Pezeshkian had appointed Major General Mohsen Rezaei as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, replacing Zolghadr, who assumed a new position after resigning as secretary.
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Dear respected brother, Dr. Mohammad Baqer Zolghadr,
In consideration of your valuable experience, I hereby appoint you to be my Political Advisor.
— Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (@MKhamenei_ir) August 9, 2026
The Supreme National Security Council is one of Iran’s key decision-making institutions. It is responsible for determining defense and security policies and coordinating political, military, intelligence, and economic issues related to national security.
Under Article 176 of the Iranian Constitution, the council is chaired by the president and includes senior officials from the country’s various branches of government, the armed forces, and the IRGC. Its decisions take effect after approval by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.
The latest appointments come as Iran continues to face US-Israeli aggression. In this context, the appointments are presented as a message to the United States that “Tehran will not concede” and that the Iranian system remains in place and will continue.
