WANA (Aug 10) – Iran’s Leader has appointed Major General pilot and IRGC officer Ali Abdollahi as the new Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.

 

The appointment was announced in a decree issued by Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei, following the reported death of Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi. The decree cited Abdollahi’s extensive experience and distinguished record of service as the basis for his appointment to the country’s highest military coordination body.

 

The decree outlined several key priorities for the new Chief of Staff, including enhancing the overall defense and security capabilities of Iran’s armed forces, strengthening readiness against conventional, cognitive and hybrid threats, and completing the process of structural integration between the General Staff of the Armed Forces and the Central Headquarters of Khatam al-Anbiya.

General Ali Abdollahi, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces

Major General Ali Abdollahi, born in 1959 in Rudbar County, Gilan Province, is a veteran Iranian military commander with more than four decades of experience in military, security and executive positions.

 

Abdollahi began his military career during the Iran-Iraq War and later held a range of senior command and administrative posts. His previous positions include Deputy Commander of the Law Enforcement Forces, Acting Commander of the Police Forces, Deputy Interior Minister for Security and Law Enforcement Affairs, Governor of Gilan and Semnan provinces, Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Support and Industrial Research, and Deputy Commander of the IRGC Air Force.

 

Throughout his career, Abdollahi has played a role in strategic planning, operational readiness and the development of defense capabilities. His experience in senior military positions has made him one of the figures associated with Iran’s defense planning and command structure.

His appointment comes as Iran’s defense and security institutions face a complex regional environment and evolving military challenges. As the highest coordinating body among Iran’s Army, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other military organizations, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces holds a central role in shaping defense policies and military strategy.