Iranian media on Friday published the first images of Major General Ahmad Vahidi since he took command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps earlier this year.
Vahidi was shown attending a meeting at the headquarters of the committee preparing the funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Another image showed him standing beside Khamenei’s coffin during a small ceremony held on Thursday evening near the late leader’s former residence.
The appearance marks Vahidi’s first public sighting since he was appointed commander of the Revolutionary Guards in early March, following the death of Major General Mohammad Pakpour.
Vahidi had previously served as deputy commander of the IRGC and has held several senior positions within Iran’s security and political establishment, including as defence minister and interior minister.
His appointment came after Pakpour was killed during Israeli and US air strikes on Iran, at the start of the conflict that erupted between Washington, Tel Aviv and Tehran in late February.
Analysts say Vahidi has since become one of the central figures shaping Iran’s hardline position in talks over a possible permanent agreement to end the war with the United States.
He is also regarded as part of a small circle with direct access to Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly since reportedly being wounded in the 28 February strikes that killed his father, Ali Khamenei.
Source: lebanon24
