Behind Iran’s new military appointments

TEHRAN, Aug 11: Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has appointed six senior commanders to key positions across the General Staff, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij security force, signaling an effort to strengthen the country’s wartime security establishment with experienced figures.
Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi was formally confirmed on Monday as commander-in-chief of the IRGC with the rank of major-general, succeeding Mohammad Pakpour, who was killed during US and Israeli attacks on Iran in late February. Mostafa Izadi was appointed Vahidi’s deputy.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the six commanders had demonstrated their experience during Iran’s “two recent imposed wars.”
The appointments came a day after former IRGC commander-in-chief Mohsen Rezaei was appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and Khamenei’s representative to the body, which plays a central role in Iran’s security and foreign policy.
Khamenei instructed Vahidi to strengthen deterrence and readiness for “powerful offensive operations,” suggesting a more assertive military posture. Vaez said Vahidi’s experience in strategic, intelligence and asymmetric warfare indicated Tehran was prioritising military survivability and the ability to respond more quickly and forcefully to future attacks. Vahidi is a veteran of the IRGC’s early years and reportedly led its elite Quds Force from 1988 to 1997, before handing command to Qassem Soleimani.
Muhanad Seloom of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies described the appointments as a consolidation of Iran’s “trusted old guard,” prioritising regime cohesion over military innovation.
US-based analyst Sina Toossi said the emphasis on “maximum deterrence” alongside readiness for offensive operations suggested Iran was redefining deterrence around not only retaliation but also the ability to impose costs proactively.
The appointment of Rezaei also signals a shift in Iran’s internal power balance. Seloom said his selection could give the military establishment greater influence over future negotiations with Washington.
Analysts cautioned that Iran’s tougher rhetoric may not necessarily lead to greater military action. Seloom described the posture as “offensive in rhetoric, attritional by design,” with Tehran’s offensive ambitions still constrained by intelligence and counterintelligence weaknesses.�"AL JAZEERA