Iran's supreme leader just overhauled its military leadership

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has appointed six senior commanders to key positions across the country's military establishment, reshaping the leadership of the armed forces and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after several top commanders were killed in the US-Israel war on the country.

The appointments, announced on Monday, fill some of the most powerful positions in Iran's security apparatus following the deaths of senior military leaders in US-Israeli strikes that began on 28 February.

They also offer an early indication of the figures Khamenei is turning to as Iran rebuilds its military command after the war.

The reshuffle came a day after Khamenei appointed IRGC veteran Mohsen Rezaei as head of the Supreme National Security Council. Rezaei served as commander-in-chief of the IRGC from 1981 to 1997.

So who are the six commanders taking on some of Iran's most important military positions?

Ahmed Vahidi, commander of the IRGC

Brig Gen Ahmad Vahidi has been promoted to major general and formally appointed commander-in-chief of the IRGC.

Vahidi has been a prominent figure within the organisation for more than four decades and previously commanded its overseas operations arm, the Quds Force, for about a decade before Qassem Soleimani took over in 1998.

He later moved into government, serving in several senior positions, including as defence minister and interior minister.

Vahidi is regarded as a central figure within the IRGC's hardline establishment and had acted as its de facto leader since Maj Gen Mohammad Pakpour was killed on the opening day of the war.

Israel and Western governments have accused Vahidi of involvement in overseas attacks, including the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires.

Ali Abdollahi, army chief of staff

Maj Gen Ali Abdollahi has been appointed to lead Iran's regular armed forces, known as the Artesh.

Abdollahi has served in both the regular military and the IRGC and most recently commanded the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, a body central to coordinating Iran's military operations.

He replaces Lt Gen Abdul Rahim Mousavi, who was killed during the initial US-Israeli attacks on 28 February.

Hossein Taeb, head of the Basij

Cleric Hossein Taeb has been appointed head of the Basij, the IRGC's volunteer paramilitary force, which has played a central role in suppressing domestic dissent and enforcing the Islamic Republic's social restrictions.

Taeb is one of the most powerful figures to have emerged from the IRGC's intelligence and surveillance apparatus.

He headed the organisation's intelligence arm for 13 years before leaving the position in 2022.

Mostafa Izadi, deputy commander of the IRGC

Maj Gen Mostafa Izadi has been named deputy commander-in-chief of the IRGC, serving directly under Vahidi.

Izadi is a veteran commander who has held positions across both the IRGC and the Artesh since the late 1980s.

His appointment makes him the second-highest-ranking commander in the Revolutionary Guards under its newly installed leadership.

Kioumars Heydari, army deputy chief of staff

Brig Gen Kioumars Heydari has been appointed Abdollahi's deputy in the Artesh.

Heydari most recently served as deputy commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters. Before that, he commanded the army's ground forces for nine years.

Israel reportedly attempted to assassinate Heydari during the Twelve-Day War in 2025.

Ali Azmaei, IRGC navy commander

Adm Ali Azmaei has been appointed commander of the IRGC navy, putting him in charge of the force at the centre of Iran's military operations in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.

A veteran of the Iran-Iraq war, Azmaei has spent the past two decades in senior naval positions and served as deputy commander of the IRGC navy before his promotion.

He replaces Alireza Tangsiri, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in March.

The IRGC navy has assumed particular importance during the current confrontation because of Iran's efforts to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important shipping routes.