ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Monday appointed senior commanders to six top positions in the country’s armed forces, with almost all of them having high-profile backgrounds in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The appointments were made to fill the positions of myriad top Iranian officials who were killed during the US-Israeli military campaigns against Iran, which also resulted in the killing of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in late February.

Most of the newly-appointed commanders are under Western sanctions over their alleged roles in serious human rights violations and the suppression of protesters.

Ahmad Vahidi was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the IRGC, replacing Mohammad Pakpour, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.

Vahidi served as Iran’s defense minister from 2009 to 2013 and interior minister from 2021 to 2024.

He also served as deputy chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces and became deputy commander of the IRGC in 2025, giving him extensive experience in both government and military sectors.

Hossein Taeb was appointed head of the IRGC Basij Organization, marking a notable return for the veteran intelligence and internal security figure, who previously served as the Basij commander.

Taeb headed the IRGC intelligence organization from 2009 to 2022, making him one of the most powerful intelligence figures within the IRGC. He previously served as commander of the Basij from 2007 to 2009 and has been closely involved in Iran’s security response to protests and the IRGC’s broader intelligence operations.

Ali Ozmaei was appointed commander of the IRGC Navy, replacing Alireza Tangsiri, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes in March.

Ozmaei has expertise in operations in southern Iran’s Persian Gulf and areas around the Strait of Hormuz. He previously commanded the IRGC Navy in southern Hormozgan province.

Mostafa Izadi was appointed as deputy commander-in-chief of the IRGC. He is known for his expertise gained during the Iran-Iraq war, when he held several senior operational positions and developed familiarity with Iran’s western border areas.

Since 2016, he has also led the cyber and new threats headquarters in IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central headquarters.

Ali Abdollahi, the new chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, is one of the country’s most senior military commanders.

He previously commanded the IRGC’s Quds Division in Gilan and held senior positions in the Law Enforcement Force, Ministry of Interior, and General Staff of the Armed Forces.

From 2016 to 2025, he served as deputy coordinator of the general staff of the armed forces. He was appointed commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters in June 2025.

Kiumars Heidari was appointed deputy chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, with a mostly military background within the Iranian army rather than the IRGC.

He became commander of the Iranian army ground forces in 2016, a position he held until 2025, when he was appointed deputy commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.