Khamenei Appoints Six Military Chiefs, Rebuilding Command Gutted by War
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Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei appointed six senior military and security commanders on August 10, converting a wartime improvisation into a permanent structure. The decrees end months of acting leadership for the Armed Forces General Staff and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps after Israeli and US strikes killed much of the top brass. Two parallel chains of command were merged into a single unified structure under the supreme leader's direct authority.
Military Leadership Decimated
The Iranian military's senior ranks were hollowed out by two waves of strikes. Armed Forces General Staff chief Mohammad Baqeri was killed in the June 2025 12-day war; his successor Abdolrahim Musavi died in the February 28 strike that also killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The General Staff had no appointed chief for roughly five months afterward, while the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters under Ali Abdollahi filled the gap. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) similarly lost chief Hossein Salami and his successor Mohammad Pakpur, leaving Ahmad Vahidi in an acting role.
August 10 Decrees
In a single day of decrees, Mojtaba Khamenei appointed Abdollahi as chief of the Armed Forces General Staff and promoted Vahidi to IRGC commander with the rank of major general. The moves formalize an improvised wartime chain of command that had been operating without the supreme leader's formal seal. Other appointments filled the remaining senior postings, converting the temporary hierarchy into a permanent structure.
Integration Mandate
The decree appointing Abdollahi calls for 'completing the integration' of the General Staff with the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters — a merger initiated under the late Ali Khamenei. No new Khatam al-Anbiya commander was named, suggesting the post may be absorbed into the General Staff. This consolidation centralizes Iran's wartime coordination apparatus under a single command, replacing the semi-parallel structure that existed previously.
What's Next
The new military leadership faces the immediate task of rebuilding Iran's defense posture amid continued regional tensions with Israel and the United States. It remains unclear how the consolidation will affect the IRGC's autonomy and whether the new command can withstand further targeted strikes.
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Khamenei Appoints Six Military Chiefs, Rebuilding Command Gutted by War
