Iran Appoints New Military Leaders After Israeli Airstrikes Kill Senior Commanders

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has appointed new senior military commanders following the deaths of key security officials in a series of Israeli airstrikes.

The reported airstrikes, which occurred early Friday, resulted in the deaths of several high-ranking military leaders, including the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, General Mohammad Bagheri; Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hossein Salami; and General Gholam-Ali Rashid, who headed the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.

In response, Khamenei appointed Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi as the new Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, General Mohammad Pakpour as Commander of the IRGC, and General Ali Shadmani as head of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.

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Prior to their new roles, Mousavi led Iran’s regular army, Pakpour commanded the IRGC Ground Force, and Shadmani served as deputy coordinator at Khatam al-Anbiya.

The strikes also reportedly resulted in the deaths of six Iranian nuclear scientists, including Mohammad-Mehdi Tehranchi and Fereydoun Abbasi, along with an unspecified number of civilians.

In an official statement, Khamenei condemned the attacks and warned that Israel would face “severe punishment,” referring to the incident as a “crime against Iran.”