Who has Iran appointed to replace commanders assassinated by Israel?
A view of a building damaged following Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, June 13, 2025. Photo:REUTERS
Iran has appointed a new slate of senior military commanders after Israeli air strikes that assassinated several top generals, including the chief of staff and leaders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s highest-ranking military officer, was among those assassinated in a series of attacks that began early Friday.
A veteran of the Iran-Iraq war, Bagheri served as chief of staff of the armed forces and answered directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Israel's strikes also assassinated other high-level officers, including Deputy for Operations Mehdi Rabani and Deputy for Intelligence Gholamreza Mehrabi. The IRGC suffered heavy losses, notably the death of its leader, Hossein Salami.
Among the casualties were eight senior commanders from the IRGC’s elite aerospace division, including Ali Akbar Hajizadeh, a key figure in Iran’s missile and drone development. The group had been meeting in a fortified bunker in Tehran.
Message from Iran's FM on martyrdom of military commanders, scientists, and innocent women and children in #Zionist_Regime's aggressive attacks
In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ رِجالٌ صَدَقُوا ما عاهَدُوا اللّهَ عَلَیْهِ… pic.twitter.com/3pWvA1FcuCNew commanders
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has since appointed Brigadier General Abdolrahim Mousavi as the new chief of staff.
The 65-year-old Brigadier General is the first army officer to be appointed to the role, which had previously been held exclusively by IRGC members.
A veteran of past conflicts, Mousavi received his military education and training at the Supreme National Defense University shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Veteran IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour has been named commander-in-chief of the powerful force.
A seasoned commander who built his entire career within the elite force. During the 1980s Iran-Iraq war, he led armoured units and later a combat division.
Before becoming commander-in-chief, Pakpour spent 16 years in charge of the IRGC’s ground forces. He also served as deputy for operations and commanded two key IRGC headquarters.
General Mohammad Pakpour is the new head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard [File: AFP]
Read: Iran, Israel trade long-range missile strikes
Iran’s Supreme Leader also elevated Amir Hatami to the rank of major-general and named him the new commander of the army.
The 59-year-old is a lifelong military officer who advanced through the ranks during the Iran-Iraq War, gaining particular prominence after Operation Mersad.
During that operation, the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) — a group that initially supported the revolution but later clashed with the Islamic regime — launched a joint ground offensive with Iraqi forces, which was decisively repelled by Iranian troops.
Brigadier General Majid Mousavi has been appointed as the new head of the IRGC’s aerospace division. He is widely regarded as a key contributor to Iran’s missile and drone programmes, as well as its space initiatives, which have drawn criticism from Western nations.
Mousavi previously worked closely with Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam, the architect of Iran’s missile strategy, who died in a 2011 explosion at a missile facility—an incident Iran deemed accidental.
All new commanders have pledged to continue the campaign against Israel. State banners across Iran now read: “You started the war, we will finish it.”
Israel's assault on Iran
The recent conflict between Iran and Israel has escalated into the most intense direct confrontation in their history, as both countries exchange large-scale strikes.
Israel launched “Operation Rising Lion” with a surprise attack on Friday, targeting Iranian military leadership, nuclear facilities, and ballistic missile production sites. The operation resulted in the deaths of dozens, including top Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists. Israeli officials said the campaign would intensify in the coming days.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue striking “every target of the regime,” while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that further attacks would trigger “a more severe and powerful response.”
In retaliation, Iran launched waves of drones and missiles at Israeli targets over the weekend, hitting both military bases and civilian infrastructure. At least 14 people were reported killed in Israel, and dozens more were injured. One Iranian missile barrage killed three people and wounded 76.
Iranian authorities say more than 220 civilians, including 25 children, have been killed in Israeli strikes on major Iranian cities and infrastructure. Bombings have targeted northern Tehran’s Niavaran district, as well as Saadat Abad, Valiasr and Hafte Tir.