Iran’s Mojtaba Khamenei makes major military changes amid US conflict, health speculation
Major military reshuffle deepens questions over Iran’s unseen supreme leader
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei made a series of senior military appointments on Monday, reshaping the country’s top command structure as the conflict with the United States continues.
In separate decrees, Khamenei appointed six commanders to key positions across Iran’s armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij Resistance Force.
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Key appointments
Ali Abdollahi: Appointed chief of staff of Iran’s Armed Forces.
Kioumars Heydari: Named deputy chief of staff of the Armed Forces.
Ahmad Vahidi: Promoted to major general and appointed commander-in-chief of the IRGC.
Mostafa Izadi: Named deputy commander-in-chief of the IRGC.
Ali Azmaei: Appointed commander of the IRGC Navy.
Hossein Taeb: Named head of the Basij Resistance Force.
The reshuffle marks Khamenei’s first major military appointments since he became supreme leader following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a US-Israeli strike in February.
Rezaee appointed to security council
Earlier, Khamenei appointed former IRGC chief Mohsen Rezaee as his representative to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), replacing Mohammad Baqir Zolghadr, according to a decree published on Sunday.
An account attributed to Khamenei on X announced the appointment, citing Rezaee’s experience as one of the early commanders during Iran’s eight-year war with Iraq.
The position was previously held by Ali Larijani, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes in March.
Health speculation
The appointments come amid continued speculation over Khamenei’s health and his absence from public view.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Khamenei is “completely healthy” after what he described as a nearly seven-hour meeting with the supreme leader.
Pezeshkian said they discussed Iran’s economy, people’s livelihoods and the impact of US sanctions, while Khamenei stressed the need for “unity and cohesion”.
Khamenei has not appeared publicly since taking office and is believed to have been wounded in the strike that killed his father.
