Iran names Ahmad Vahidi new IRGC chief amid escalating US, Israel attack - Who is he?
Iran has reportedly appointed Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi as the new commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to Iranian media
Iran has reportedly appointed Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi as the new commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to Iranian media, as Tehran signals a major escalation following US-Israeli strikes. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei's death, that have shaken the Iran’s political and military leadership.
The reported appointment comes amid mounting tensions across the Middle East, with Iranian officials warning of large-scale retaliation and state media carrying statements suggesting a widening confrontation involving Israel and American military assets in the region.
Iran media reports Vahidi appointed IRGC commander
Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has been appointed as the new Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC, Iranian outlet Daily Iran News claimed, marking what would represent one of the most consequential leadership changes within Iran’s powerful military establishment in recent years.
Iranian authorities have not yet issued a detailed official decree publicly outlining the appointment, but the reported move follows significant disruption within Iran’s command structure after recent US and Israeli strikes targeting senior military and political figures.
The IRGC, an elite force tasked with protecting the Islamic Republic and projecting Iranian influence abroad, plays a central role in Tehran’s security strategy and regional operations.
IRGC warns of “most massive and powerful offensive operation”
In a statement carried by Iranian state media, the Revolutionary Guards announced preparations for a sweeping retaliatory campaign.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it plans to launch what it described as the “most massive and powerful offensive operation in the history of the Islamic Republic,” targeting Israel and US military bases across the region.
The declaration signals a potential expansion of hostilities beyond direct exchanges, raising concerns among regional governments and global markets about the risk of broader conflict.
Reports of missile strike near CIA facility in Dubai
Amid escalating rhetoric, media reports said an Iranian missile struck a CIA facility in Dubai on Sunday morning. Independent confirmation of the claim remains limited, and authorities have not publicly detailed the extent of damage or casualties.
The reported strike follows heightened drone and missile activity across the Gulf, underscoring how rapidly the conflict may be spreading beyond primary theatres of confrontation.
IRGC statement references Khamenei’s “proud martyrdom”
In an official statement released during live updates surrounding the conflict, the IRGC expressed both mourning and celebration over what it called the “proud martyrdom” of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The statement described the supreme leader as a “devout scholar, the standard-bearer of the Islamic Revolution’s martyrs, and the rightful deputy of Imam al-Mahdi.”
The language reflects the ideological framing often used by Iranian authorities when referring to senior figures killed in conflict, while also reinforcing calls for national mobilisation.
Who is Ahmad Vahidi?
Ahmad Vahidi is a long-time figure within Iran’s security establishment and one of the country’s most experienced military strategists.
A founding member of the IRGC, Vahidi previously commanded the Quds Force — the external operations arm responsible for Iran’s regional military networks — and later served as defence minister. Known for his deep ties to Iran’s security apparatus, he has played a role in shaping Tehran’s asymmetric warfare doctrine and regional alliances.
His reported elevation to commander-in-chief would place him at the centre of Iran’s military response during one of the most volatile moments in the Islamic Republic’s history.
Why the appointment matters
The IRGC leadership shift comes at a moment when Iran’s chain of command appears under strain following targeted strikes against senior officials, and the death of Khamenei. Analysts say installing an experienced security figure could signal Tehran’s intention to consolidate control and prepare for sustained confrontation rather than immediate de-escalation.
The IRGC’s influence extends far beyond conventional military operations, encompassing missile programmes, intelligence networks and powerful economic holdings within Iran.
A leadership change at its helm therefore carries implications not only for battlefield strategy but also for Iran’s internal political balance.
About the Author
Sayantani Biswas is an assistant editor at Livemint with seven years of experience covering geopolitics, foreign policy, international relations and global power dynamics. She reports on Indian and international politics, including elections worldwide, and specialises in historically grounded analysis of contemporary conflicts and state decisions. She joined Mint in 2021, after covering politics at publications including The Telegraph. <br> She holds an MPhil in Comparative Literature from Jadavpur University (2019), with a specialisation in postcolonial Latin American literature. Her research examined economic nationalism through Eduardo Galeano’s Open Veins of Latin America. She also writes on political language, cultural memory and the long shadows of conflict. <br> Biswas grew up in Durgapur, an industrial town in West Bengal shaped by migration, which drew families from across India to the Durgapur Steel Plant. As the only child in a joint family, she spent years listening—almost obsessively—to her grandparents’ testimonies of struggle, fear and loss as they fled Bangladesh during the Partition of 1947. This formative exposure to lived historical memory later converged with her training in Comparative Literature, equipping her to analyse socio-economic structures and their reverberations. <br> Outside the newsroom, she gravitates towards cultural history and critical theory, returning often to texts such as Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed. As a journalist, she is committed to accuracy, intellectual rigour and fairness, and believes political reporting demands not only clarity and speed, but historical depth, contextual precision, and a disciplined resistance to spectacle.