Meet Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi – the IRGC New Commander Leading amid US‑Israeli War

Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency via Reuters]

VoM News Desk | March 6, 2026 | 12:09 PM IST | Politics, World |
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Meet Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi – the IRGC New Commander Leading amid US‑Israeli War

March 6, 2026 – Tehran – Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has assumed leadership of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at a perilous moment, as a joint US-Israeli military campaign has killed over 1,000 people and targeted the country’s senior military leadership.

Vahidi’s role places him at the helm of one of the most powerful and high-risk positions in Iran. His predecessors, including Qassem Soleimani and Mohammad Pakpour, were both killed in attacks by US and Israeli forces—underscoring the lethal stakes of commanding the IRGC.

“Guarding the Islamic Revolution is one of the greatest virtues in the world,” Vahidi said upon his appointment as deputy chief in December 2025. “The greatest evil that has been committed is opposing the Islamic system.”

A Long Military and Political Career

Vahidi’s rise through the IRGC began in the late 1970s. He held key intelligence and operational roles during the 1980s and led the elite Quds Force from 1988 to 1997, before passing its leadership to Soleimani, who expanded Iran’s influence across the Middle East until his assassination in 2020.

Unlike his immediate predecessors, Vahidi has extensive experience in political roles. He served as defence minister under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and later as interior minister under Ebrahim Raisi, leaving office in 2024. Analysts say this blend of military and bureaucratic experience makes him a “key wartime leader” capable of coordinating Iran’s security apparatus during a full-scale conflict.

Vahidi’s pragmatism is evident from past involvement in covert diplomacy. In the mid-1980s, he reportedly participated in secret negotiations linked to the Iran-Contra affair, giving him insights into US and Israeli strategy.

Controversies and Sanctions

Vahidi’s career has also attracted international scrutiny. In the late 2000s, Interpol issued a red notice at Argentina’s request over his alleged role in the 1994 bombing of Buenos Aires’ AMIA Jewish community centre, which killed 85 people. Iran denied involvement.

More recently, the United States and European Union sanctioned him following Iran’s deadly crackdown on nationwide protests in 2022 after the killing of Mahsa Amini in police custody.

Analysts describe him as a “brutal” figure who represents the IRGC’s hardline faction, capable of swiftly filling leadership gaps created by Israeli strikes. “Pakpour and Salami were schoolteachers compared to this guy,” said Mohammad Ali Shabani, editor-in-chief of Middle East news outlet Amwaj.

Leading the IRGC in a Decentralized Structure

Vahidi faces the challenge of coordinating a military force that, under past IRGC chiefs, has been deliberately decentralized to survive decapitation strikes. Former IRGC chief Mohammad-Ali Jafari structured the force so that units could operate semi-independently in the event of leadership losses.

“Iran’s leaders are seeking the most reliable and dependable candidate,” said Nader Hashemi, director of the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University. “Vahidi can maintain institutional continuity and inspire the rank and file to continue fighting despite overwhelming odds. The survival of the Islamic Republic depends on the IRGC.”

With his appointment, Vahidi now carries the responsibility of leading Iran’s military edge in an ongoing war, a challenge that even Soleimani never had to face: commanding a nation’s elite forces amid an active, high-intensity conflict with two of the world’s most powerful militaries.

VoM News Desk

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