Key points
- Khamenei appoints new Revolutionary Guards and armed forces chiefs
- Pakpour to replace Hossein Salami: IRNA
- Mousavi to replace Bagheri as chief of armed forces general staff
- Khamenei warns Israel it faced a “bitter and painful” fate over attack
ISLAMABAD: Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has appointed new Revolutionary Guards and armed forces chiefs to replace those killed in Israeli strikes on Friday.
According to IRNA news agency, Khamenei named Mohammad Pakpour to replace Hossein Salami as commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Abdolrahim Mousavi to replace Mohammad Bagheri as chief of the armed forces general staff.
Earlier, IRNA reported Major General Salami had been killed in an Israeli strike overnight on Friday.
According to IRNA, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri and other military and civilian figures have also been killed in Israeli strikes in Tehran.
Israel strikes Iran
Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesperson for Iranian military, has also confirmed Israeli strikes on Iranian territory, including residential buildings, and says Iran’s response to the attacks will be heavy.
After Israeli attacks, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel it faced a “bitter and painful” fate over the attack, which also killed a senior Guards commander according to Iranian media.
“Painful destiny”
IRNA cited Khamenei as saying, “The Israeli regime sealed a bitter and painful destiny for itself with overnight strikes on Iran”.
“With this crime, the Zionist regime sealed for itself a bitter and painful destiny and will definitely see that [destiny] brought upon it,” Iranian media quoted Ayatollah Khamenei as saying. He said a number of commanders and scientists were assassinated in the strikes, IRNA reported.
