Hardline Veteran Ahmad Vahidi Named IRGC Chief Amid Post-Strike Turmoil

TEHRAN — In a move signaling a defiant consolidation of power, Tehran has appointed Ahmad Vahidi, a hardline veteran and former Defense Minister, as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The appointment, confirmed by state media on Sunday, comes as the Islamic Republic reels from a series of devastating airstrikes that have reportedly decapitated its top leadership.

​Vahidi, 67, steps into the role following the confirmed death of Major General Mohammad Pakpour, who was killed during a joint U.S. and Israeli military operation—codenamed “Operation Epic Fury” by Washington—that targeted high-level command centers across Iran on Saturday.

​A Leadership in Crisis

​The elevation of Vahidi occurs against the backdrop of unprecedented national instability. Iranian state television confirmed early Sunday that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes, along with his daughter and several senior aides. The military cull also claimed the lives of Chief of Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi and Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, leaving Vahidi to lead an elite force that is currently the primary line of defense against both foreign aggression and domestic unrest.

​Vahidi is a figure of significant international controversy. He has been under U.S. and European sanctions for years, specifically for his role in the “lethal suppression” of the 2022 nationwide “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests. Furthermore, he remains the subject of an Interpol Red Notice for his alleged involvement in the 1994 AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people.

​Regional Escalation

​Following his appointment, the IRGC issued a scorched-earth statement, vowing “successive, regrettable slaps” in retaliation. By Sunday afternoon, the Guards claimed to have launched “extensive missile and drone” strikes targeting 27 U.S. bases in the region and several Israeli military installations, including the HaKirya command headquarters in Tel Aviv.

​In Washington, President Donald Trump characterized the strikes as a “great day for the world,” suggesting that the removal of Khamenei and his top generals would make future diplomacy “much easier.” However, reports indicate the strikes were launched despite intelligence assessments suggesting Tehran posed no immediate direct threat to the U.S. mainland, allegedly following weeks of intense lobbying by Israel and Saudi Arabia.

​A Nation Divided

​While the government declared 40 days of national mourning, reports from inside the country paint a more complex picture. Despite severe internet blackouts, footage has emerged from cities such as Shiraz and Karaj showing residents celebrating the news of the Supreme Leader’s death.

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​Exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi, writing in The Washington Post, hailed the moment as the beginning of the end for the Islamic Republic, asserting that any successor appointed under these “wartime conditions” would lack legitimacy.

​As Vahidi takes command, he faces the dual challenge of managing a high-stakes regional war while maintaining internal order over a population increasingly emboldened by the sudden vacuum at the top of the clerical establishment.