In a bid to fill the military vacuum left by Israel’s fatal strikes that killed several top Iranian commanders, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday appointed Major General Amir Hatami as the new Chief Commander of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The announcement, reported by Iranian state media outlet IRNA, marks a significant leadership change as Tehran seeks to stabilise its military structure after Israel’s large-scale offensive. Hatami, who served as Iran’s Defence Minister from 2013 to 2021, now steps into a critical role at a time of heightened regional tensions. In his official decree, Khamenei commended Hatami’s “dedication, competence, and experience,” urging him to lead with a “transformative and revolutionary approach,” according to IRNA. Khamenei also expressed gratitude to Major General Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi for his “sincere and valuable efforts” during his tenure. The reshuffle follows the killing of Iran’s former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces (CSAF) General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, who, according to Iranian authorities, was assassinated “at the hands of the evil Zionist regime.” Khamenei later appointed Mousavi as Bagheri’s successor. “In view of the martyrdom of Lieutenant General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri at the hands of the evil Zionist regime, & in light of Major General Sayyid Abdolrahim Mousavi’s meritorious services & valuable experience, I appoint him as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces,” Khamenei posted on X. Khamenei also made sweeping changes across other key military branches, replacing top officials killed in Israel’s Operation Rising Lion airstrikes. Major General Mohammad Pakpour has been named the new Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after the death of Lieutenant General Hossein Salami in the Israeli strikes. “In view of the martyrdom of Lieutenant General Hossein Salami at the hands of the vile Zionist regime, and in light of Major General Mohammad Pakpour’s meritorious services and valuable experience, I appoint him as Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” Khamenei announced.Further, Major General Ali Shadmani was appointed Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya (pbuh) Central Headquarters, following the assassination of Lieutenant General Gholamali Rashid. Khamenei posted, “In view of Lt. Gen. Gholamali Rashid’s martyrdom at the hands of the vile Zionist regime, and in light of Major General Ali Shadmani’s meritorious services & valuable experience, I confer the rank of Major Gen. & appoint him Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya (pbuh) Central HQ.”According to a CNN report, Israel’s Operation Rising Lion dealt a devastating blow to Iran’s top military leadership, killing high-ranking officers, including the heads of the IRGC, the air force, and a former national security chief. Among the key figures killed was Major General Hossein Salami, the powerful commander of the IRGC who had led the elite force since 2019. Salami played a pivotal role in Iran’s military offensives, including direct missile and drone attacks on Israel in April and October 2024. CNN further reported that Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, was another significant casualty. Bagheri was instrumental in military coordination, foreign policy engagements in Syria, and diplomatic talks with Saudi Arabia. Ali Shamkhani, a long-time aide to Khamenei and former national security chief, also died in the Israeli strike. Shamkhani had recently been involved in Iran’s diplomatic overtures, including China-brokered talks with Saudi Arabia.Also read: Explainer: How Iran’s nuclear progress triggered Israeli strike – and why it matters Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the IRGC’s air force and the strategist behind Iran’s 2020 missile attacks on Israel and US military bases in Iraq, was also killed. According to CNN, he and his senior staff were targeted in a strike on an underground command centre. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) later confirmed the strikes, framing them as a necessary step to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. “Iran is closer than ever to obtaining a nuclear weapon. Weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the Iranian regime are an existential threat to the State of Israel and the wider world. The State of Israel has no choice but to fulfil the obligation to act in defence of its citizens and will continue to do so everywhere it is required to do so,” the IDF posted on X. In response, Iran launched a wave of drone and missile strikes on Tel Aviv. Israeli counterstrikes have continued since then, keeping the region on edge.
