The intelligence chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was dismissed by the country on Thursday and replaced with a senior military commander.
IRGC chief Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami appointed Brig. Gen. Mohammad Kazemi in place of Hossein Taeb, who held the powerful post for 13 years, in a decree on Thursday.
Founded in 2009, the IRGC’s intelligence wing functions in parallel with the ministry of intelligence, though it is believed to yield more influence.
Taeb will serve as Salami’s adviser in a new role, IRGC spokesperson Ramezan Sharif said.
The organization’s counter-intelligence wing, also known as the Intelligence Protection Organization (IPO), was previously headed by Kazemi, who is said to be an expert on security and intelligence matters.
No reason was given by the IRGC spokesperson for the shake-up, which comes amid a string of security incidents across the country that include mysterious killings of individuals associated with the guards and military.
