New spy chief for Iran's Revolutionary Guards after predecessor killed by Israel

TEHRAN, June 20 — Iran appointed a new chief of intelligence at its Revolutionary Guards yesterday, the official Irna news agency said, after his predecessor was killed in an Israeli strike last week.
Major General Mohammad Pakpour, the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), appointed Brigadier General Majid Khadami as the new head of its intelligence division, Irna said.
He replaces Mohammed Kazemi, who was killed on Sunday alongside two other Revolutionary Guards officers — Hassan Mohaghegh and Mohsen Bagheri — in an Israeli strike.
Pakpour had himself been recently appointed after Israel killed his predecessor Hossein Salami in a strike on June 13.
'During the years that our martyred commanders Kazemi and Mohaqeq led the IRGC Intelligence, we witnessed significant growth in all aspects of intelligence within the IRGC,' said Pakpour.
Israel launched air strikes on nuclear and military sites in Iran last week, claiming that its arch enemy was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon, which Iran denies.
Israel killed several top Iranian officials, prompting a counter-attack by Iran, which yesterday hit an Israeli hospital.
Upon his appointment by Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei last Friday, Pakpour threatened to open 'the gates of hell' in retaliation for Israel's attacks.
Top Israeli figures have openly talked about killing Khamenei. — AFP

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