Ayatollah Khamenei Appoints New Commander of Basij
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei appointed Brigadier General Gholam Reza Soleimani as the new commander of Iran’s Basij (mobilization) Force, a replacement for Brigadier General Gholam Hossein Gheibparvar.
In a decree on Tuesday, Ayatollah Khamenei, Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces, highlighted Brigadier General Soleimani’s valuable experiences in uniform, calling on him to work on plans to encourage the creativity of Basij forces, particularly the young forces, in order to promote and safeguard the revolutionary values.
Ayatollah Khamenei also praised Soleimani’s predecessor, Brigadier General Gheibparvar, for his precious efforts and revolutionary stances during his tenure.
Basij is a paramilitary voluntary force established in 1979 on late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini's order.
The force consists of often young Iranians, who have volunteered, with a strong sense of fidelity to both the Islamic system and religious beliefs.
In a separate decree on Tuesday, Ayatollah Khamenei appointed Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces.