The first appointment made by Iran's new supreme leader: a general who led the Revolutionary Guards
Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has appointed the former head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a military adviser, local media reported on Monday, according to AFP.
“General Mohsen Rezaei has been appointed military adviser by order of the Supreme Commander, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei,” Mehr news agency reports.
Other Iranian media outlets also announced this appointment.
It is the first appointment made by Iran's new leader publicly announced so far.
Rezaei, 71, previously headed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the ideological arm of Iran's military. Since then, he has held several senior positions within the Iranian political system.
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was named Iran's supreme leader earlier this month, succeeding his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the first wave of US and Israeli strikes on February 28.
Since then, Iran has been at war with the United States and Israel in a conflict that has quickly spread across the Middle East.
Under the leadership of the former supreme leader, the post of military adviser was held by Yahya Rahim Safavi.
It is not clear whether he still holds this position under the leadership of Mojtaba Khamenei.
Decree: Officials appointed by Ali Khamenei will remain in office for the time being
Also on Monday, in a written decree attributed to Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei ordered officials and heads of state institutions appointed under his father to retain their positions and “continue their work.”
“As a result of the requests received from some managers and officials of the bodies who were directly appointed by the martyred leader, I hereby announce that none of them needs the renewal of appointment for the time being,” reads the decree published on Monday.
Mojtaba Khamenei instructed the officials to continue their duties based on the policies and guidance they received during Ali Khamenei's leadership, notes the exiled publication Iran International, reporting from London.
