Iran's Supreme Leader, Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei, issued a series of decrees today appointing six high-ranking commanders in the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the Basij forces.
Under these decrees, IRGC Major General Pilot Ali Abdollahi was appointed Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, and Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.
Additionally, IRGC Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, following his promotion to the rank of Major General, assumed command of the IRGC as Commander-in-Chief, while IRGC Major General Mostafa Izadi took on the responsibilities of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC.
In line with these decisions, command of the IRGC Navy was assigned to IRGC Rear Admiral Ali Azmaei, while the leadership of the Basij Resistance Force (Organization for the Mobilization of the Oppressed) was assigned to Hossein Taeb.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian appointed Mohsen Rezaei as Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council on Sunday, succeeding Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who resigned from his position.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, also issued a decree appointing Rezaei as his representative to the Supreme National Security Council, thereby combining the dual roles of Council Secretary and the Supreme Leader's representative within it, both of which were previously held by Zolghadr.
The Supreme Leader's website reported that Sayyid Khamenei appointed Zolghadr as his political advisor.
Furthermore, the Iranian President revealed that his meeting with the Leader lasted approximately seven hours, during which they discussed "numerous issues of concern to the country, problems stemming from sanctions, and how the nation stands in the face of the enemy".
Pezeshkian stated that the most important recommendation he received from Sayyid Khamenei was "unity and cohesion," noting that the Leader emphasized that "nothing is more important than unity in the current situation, as one of the enemy's main goals is to incite division within the country."
Sayyid Khamenei stressed that "it is essential to develop comprehensive defensive and security capabilities and readiness for the Armed Forces and the Basij," calling for "enabling an effective response to any level of military, hybrid, and cognitive threats."
He stated: "The integration process of the General Staff and the Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters must be completed, based on the directives of the late Leader. Additionally, naval skills, equipment, intelligence surveillance, and combat readiness must be enhanced, while deepening and expanding the culture of resistance and Basij mobilization so that Iran remains strong and united."
These appointments come at a time when Iran is facing American-Zionist aggression. In this context, the new appointments send a message to the United States that "Tehran will not compromise" and that the regime remains intact and ongoing.
