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CNN: Iran Has Not Announced Replacements for Killed Officials – Possible Scenarios

Published March 22, 2026, 07:13
CNN: Iran Has Not Announced Replacements for Killed Officials – Possible Scenarios

Iran has not replaced most of the officials killed in Israeli attacks, according to a CNN investigation. Public successors have not been appointed for more than twelve senior officials whose deaths have been announced by Iranian state media. The latest announcements of appointments to senior security positions were made in early March, with Ahmad Vahidi appointed head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the new Minister of Defense announced the following day. Both of their predecessors had been killed. Positions such as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, the head of the National Security Council, and the secretary of Iran's Defense Council remain vacant. Analysts suggest that the regime may have decided not to make official announcements to protect security officials, or because some positions have not been filled. The approval of appointments requires the approval of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who may not be easily accessible even to senior officials.