Tehran, June 14, 2025 — Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has announced a significant shake-up in the country’s military leadership following a series of deadly Israeli airstrikes that reportedly killed several senior commanders.
The new appointments were made public on Saturday via a post on Khamenei’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel.
“In view of Lt. Gen. Gholamali Rashid’s martyrdom at the hands of the vile Zionist regime, and in light of Major General Ali Shadmani’s meritorious service and experience, I appoint him Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters,” the statement read.
Khamenei also confirmed the death of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chief, Lieutenant General Hossein Salami, and named Major General Mohammad Pakpour as his successor.
Additionally, Major General Sayyid Abdolrahim Mousavi was appointed as the new Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, following the reported assassination of Lieutenant General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri.
The Iranian leadership has declared the slain commanders as martyrs, accusing Israel of committing acts of aggression on Iranian soil. While Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the strikes, its officials have frequently warned of preemptive action against threats from Tehran.
The latest wave of Israeli airstrikes, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, reportedly targeted Iranian military and nuclear facilities, including sites in central Tehran and the nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the campaign as a direct effort to dismantle Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
“Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival,” Netanyahu said in a televised address. “This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.”
Among the high-profile casualties confirmed by Iran were IRGC commander Hossein Salami, armed forces chief Mohammad Bagheri, and former national security chief Ali Shamkhani.
In response, Iran has launched waves of missile attacks targeting Israel, further escalating the conflict and raising fears of a broader regional war.
