Abdollahi Becomes Head of the Iranian Armed Forces Staff, Vahidi Leads the IRGC

JAKARTA - The military leadership and Iran's elite forces have changed, in line with the decision of the Supreme Leader of the State of the Mullahs published in a Monday announcement.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, appointed Major General Ali Abdollahi, a general of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as the chief of staff of the country's armed forces, as well as confirming the new IRGC commander, a move that confirms his full control over the country's military.

Previously, Major General Abdollahi led Khatam al-Anbiya, Iran's cross-sectoral central military command tasked with coordinating operations.

A statement on Khamenei's website announced that "Major General Ali Abdollahi has been appointed as the chief of staff of the armed forces. Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has also been appointed as the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with the rank of major general," reported Al Arabiya from AFP (11/8).

The appointment of the two is Khamenei's first step in placing high-ranking military officials since he was appointed as the supreme leader at the beginning of the Middle East war, following the death of his father, late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei due to the US-Israeli attack on February 28 which triggered an escalation in the Middle East.

During the war, Major General Abdollahi had made a strong threat. Earlier this month he warned neighboring countries in the region that "any country that becomes a defense shield for the criminal and aggressive America will be engulfed in the flames of war."