IRGC commander leaves sooner than expected

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed Hossein Salami as the new commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). After nearly 12 years at the head of Iran’s most influential military force, Mohammad Ali Jafari will head the Hazrat Baqiatollah al-Azam Cultural and Social Headquarters. Khamenei thanked Jafari for his service to the IRGC and “introducing the Islamic revolution,” stating that in his new position he will play a role in the “second step of the revolution.”

Salami is the eighth commander of the IRGC. The IRGC was created to answer directly to the supreme leader to safeguard the revolution, but the group has seen its role expand over the decades. Regarding the change in leadership, Jahan newspaper, which is believed to be linked to the country’s security agencies, wrote that Iran has successfully left proxy wars behind and is now entering a new era of “more clear confrontation” with the United States and Israel.

Jahan published some of Salami’s previous quotes to back up the idea that a more confrontational era awaits, including: 

“The end of negotiations and compromise with America is war.”