Iran has reshuffled its top military leadership following the assassination of several senior commanders in recent Israeli airstrikes, appointing experienced war veterans to key positions as tensions between the two countries escalate.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has named Abdolrahim Mousavi, the current commander-in-chief of Iran’s army, as the new chief of staff of the armed forces.
The 65-year-old brigadier general is the first army officer to hold this post, traditionally led by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders.
Mousavi, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war, received his military education at the Supreme National Defense University after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Khamenei has also appointed Mohammad Pakpour as the new commander-in-chief of the IRGC. Pakpour is a long-serving IRGC figure who played a significant role during the Iran-Iraq war.
He previously led the IRGC ground forces for 16 years and was deeply involved in operational planning, heading two major IRGC headquarters before his promotion.
In another major move, former defense minister Amir Hatami has been promoted to major-general and assigned as the new commander of Iran’s army.
The 59-year-old Hatami, who rose through the ranks during the Iraq invasion, is known for his role in Iran’s defense against the MEK-led Operation Mersad in the late 1980s.
Brigadier General Majid Mousavi has been appointed as the new aerospace chief of the IRGC.
Mousavi has been instrumental in developing Iran’s missile and drone capabilities and was a close associate of Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, widely regarded as the architect of Iran’s missile program.
All the newly appointed commanders have pledged firm retaliation against Israel. Banners across Iran now read: “You started the war, we will finish it.”
In his first statement, Hatami vowed that under his leadership, the army would deliver “decisive and effective blows” to what he called the “fake and child-killing Zionist regime.”
The leadership shake-up signals Iran’s readiness to intensify its military response amid the ongoing confrontation with Israel.
