Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has assumed command of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps at one of the most turbulent moments in the country’s modern history.
His appointment comes as Iran faces a joint military assault by the United States and Israel that has killed more than 1,000 people, devastated cities and eliminated several senior military leaders.
Vahidi replaces Mohammad Pakpour, who was killed during the opening phase of the attacks on February 28.
Pakpour had himself been appointed only after Israel killed his predecessor, Hossein Salami, during a 12-day war in June 2025.
The rapid turnover at the top of the IRGC highlights the risks attached to one of the most powerful positions in Iran’s military establishment.
The conflict has also claimed the life of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the latest attacks.
Born in 1958 in Shiraz, Vahidi joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shortly after the 1979 revolution and rose through its ranks during the Iran-Iraq war.
He studied electronics before obtaining advanced degrees in industrial engineering and strategic sciences.
In 1981 he was appointed deputy responsible for intelligence within the IRGC, where he helped organize the organization’s intelligence apparatus and oversee training structures for new officers.
By 1988 he became the first commander of the Quds Force, the Guard’s external operations arm.
He held that role until 1997 before handing leadership to Qassem Soleimani, who later expanded Iran’s regional influence before being killed in a United States drone strike in 2020.
Vahidi later held senior roles in Iran’s defense establishment, including serving as defense minister and later interior minister from 2021 to 2024.
Vahidi takes charge of the IRGC at a time when Iran’s leadership structure has been heavily disrupted by targeted killings and wartime losses.
He had been appointed deputy commander of the IRGC in December, a move that placed him near the center of Iran’s military planning before the latest escalation.
His long career across intelligence, military planning and political office has made him one of the most influential figures within Iran’s security system.
Analysts say that experience may help him coordinate the decentralized structure of the IRGC, which was designed to continue operating even if central command structures are disrupted.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said some Iranian military units have become “independent and somewhat isolated,” reflecting the strain on command structures during the conflict.
Vahidi has publicly pledged loyalty to the Islamic Republic, stating, “Guarding the Islamic Revolution is one of the greatest virtues in the world, and the greatest evil that has been committed is opposing the Islamic system.”
His career has also drawn international scrutiny, including sanctions from the United States and the European Union and an Interpol notice issued at Argentina’s request related to the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.
Iran has denied involvement in the attack and dismissed the accusations as baseless.