Iran leader makes key changes in Revolutionary Guards command

Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Aug. 20 – Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ordered on Saturday a key change in the high command of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in a move that will have far-reaching consequences for the country’s military strategy. Khamenei, acting in his capacity as the Commander in Chief of the armed forces, put Brigadier General Mohammad-Ali (Aziz) Jaafari in charge of forming “the IRGC centre for strategy”. Iran Focus

Tehran, Iran, Aug. 20 – Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ordered on Saturday a key change in the high command of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in a move that will have far-reaching consequences for the country’s military strategy.

Khamenei, acting in his capacity as the Commander in Chief of the armed forces, put Brigadier General Mohammad-Ali (Aziz) Jaafari in charge of forming “the IRGC centre for strategy”.

Jaafari, who has been commander of the IRGC Ground Forces, was replaced by another Revolutionary Guards brigadier general, Ahmad Kazemi. Kazemi has been commander of the IRGC Air Force. No replacement for Kazemi has yet been named.

In an article on August 4, Iran Focus divulged the Iranian leaders’ plans to set up a “centre for strategy” for the IRGC and Khamenei’s decision to name Jaafari as its founder (See: [font=Helvetica”>Iran Revolutionary Guards expect key changes in high command[/font”>).

In his decree, Khamenei called on Jaafari to “identify and propose key individuals and scientists in the Revolutionary Guards for membership in this important centre”.

The appointments, which are expected to be followed by more changes in the IRGC command, were recommended by Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, the commander of the IRGC.

The idea for the creation of the new centre for strategy came from Khamenei himself, who regularly receives the top IRGC commanders and closely follows their activities. He had asked Safavi and his commanders to devise a new command structure and military strategy for the IRGC that would give the elite military force unlimited access to national resources and absolute priority over the regular army in case of a foreign military confrontation.

Brigadier General Jaafari’s new centre will draw up the new strategy and implement the necessary changes to ensure rapid and efficient transformation of the country’s civilian infrastructure and resources to military footing under the control of the IRGC.

In his new position, Jaafari will be working closely with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The two men are close friends and veterans of the Revolutionary Guards.

The changes in the IRGC high command will strengthen the position of Rahim Safavi and his deputy, Mohammad-Baqer Zolqadr. Both men are fiercely loyal to Khamenei and played a crucial role in the election of Ahmadinejad.