LONDON, United Kingdom - The representative of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Saturday dismissed unverified reports about a planned removal of the force's commander, Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami.

The Khamenei envoy, Abdollah Haji-Sadeghi, called the claims “baseless propaganda” spread by the “enemies of the ruling Islamic Republic to undermine the IRGC,” according to a report by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency on Saturday.

Rumors circulating online have suggested that Salami would soon be replaced by Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, a former defense minister and high-ranking IRGC figure.

“The current commander-in-chief is operating with full determination and a clear plan,” said Haji-Sadeghi, who saw the reports as part of an intermittent campaign by Iran's foreign and domestic adversaries.

Khamenei's envoy asserted that Salami and the IRGC will press ahead with their mission “tirelessly,” and remain inattentive to “these falsehoods.”

A US-sanctioned general, Salami was appointed by the Iranian supreme leader in 2019 to take the helm of the IRGC. As a senior figure within Iran's military establishment, he is known for his hardline approach toward national security and his role in shaping Iran's military strategy in the Middle East.

Salami also hails from the IRGC's aerospace and strategic sectors, and has been influential in advancing the Islamic republic's defense capabilities, particularly its controversial missile and drone technology.