Iran Reshuffles Security Structure, IRGC Veterans Rise to Key Posts
Iran has reshuffled its security and military leadership, placing several veterans of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in strategic positions. The move comes amid ongoing war and escalating tensions with the United States and Israel.
The office of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei appointed former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaee as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) and as Khamenei’s deputy in the body. Rezaee, 71, led the IRGC for 16 years, including during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.
In addition to Rezaee, six military posts were filled. Ali Abdollahi was appointed chief of staff of the armed forces, Ali Ozmaei became head of the IRGC Navy, and Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi was confirmed as the supreme commander of the IRGC with the rank of major general, replacing Mohammad Pakpour, who was killed in the initial US-Israeli attack on Iran in late February.
Sina Azodi, an assistant professor of Middle East Politics at George Washington University, assessed that the series of appointments shows Tehran has not softened its stance towards Washington. ‘There is no doubt that Khamenei, Vahidi, and the IRGC leadership share the view that continued resistance against the US is a strategic necessity,’ Azodi said, as quoted by Al Jazeera on Tuesday (11/8/2026).
According to Azodi, Rezaee’s experience could help strengthen internal cohesion within the IRGC while consolidating the leadership’s control. ‘His appointment appears aimed at strengthening internal cohesion, consolidating the leadership’s control over the organisation, and leveraging the experience of a figure who helped shape the IRGC into the military and political institution it is today,’ he said.
Rezaee had previously been more involved in politics and economics after leaving his military post. He served as secretary of the Expediency Council and was given a high-level economic coordination mandate during the Ebrahim Raisi administration from 2021 to 2024, despite failing four times in presidential bids.
Amid the latest conflict, Rezaee returned to wearing a military uniform and became a military advisor to Mojtaba Khamenei after the latter succeeded his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He has since actively voiced a hardline stance against the US and Israel, including opposing a memorandum of understanding that temporarily reopened the Strait of Hormuz and suspended oil sanctions. ‘I ask colleagues who oppose negotiations to be patient; the Americans themselves will sabotage it and will not allow the negotiations to bear any fruit,’ Rezaee said in early July. Last week, he again warned the US to change its behaviour or risk serious consequences for its forces.
Nournews, a media outlet affiliated with the SNSC, described Rezaee’s appointment as the beginning of a broader ‘strategic restructuring’. The move is seen as potentially integrating military, diplomatic, economic, and energy policies, which have so far been considered to operate separately.
Iran’s Foreign Minister also welcomed the appointment. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran has demonstrated that it is a country founded on institutions, not individuals. ‘This is precisely the secret of the Islamic Republic’s resilience and victory amid these challenging conditions,’ he said.
Rezaee’s appointment drew a sharp reaction from Israel because he and Vahidi are subjects of an Interpol Red Notice for alleged involvement in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people. Domestically, hardline groups welcomed the change and viewed Rezaee’s rise as strengthening the camp that supports confrontation with the US.