Ahmad Vahidi is appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as Iran reshuffles its military leadership
The administration announced the appointment of Ahmad Vahidi as the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This move is part of a broader military and security reshuffle by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to fill vacancies left by wartime losses and consolidate power among trusted veterans. In addition to Vahidi, the reshuffle includes the appointment of Ali Abdollahi as chief of staff of the Armed Forces and Hossein Taeb as the head of the Basij volunteer paramilitary force. These appointments signal a reliance on longtime loyalists who have served the regime since the 1979 revolution and the Iran-Iraq War. Analysts suggest that the return of these veterans reflects a shrinking pool of trusted officials and a less diverse decision-making circle. While the appointments do not prove a lack of younger commanders, the reliance on familiar faces like Mohsen Rezaei and Kioumars Heydari highlights a strategy of institutional memory and coercive power. The reshuffle aims to provide a stable command structure as Iran faces renewed confrontation with the United States and mounting economic pressure from sanctions.