Monday, March 02, 2026
Man Wanted Over Argentina Jewish Center Bombing Now Leads IRGC
On March 1, Ahmad Vahidi was named the new Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), replacing Mohammad Pakpour, who was killed in Saturday's Israeli strikes after serving in the role for less than a year.
Vahidi had been introduced as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC in early January. His final words in that role were: "The enemies must review their calculations over and over again, for a miscalculation will cause them immense trouble." Previously, he had dismissed the buildup of Western naval forces in the region, stating: "The presence of these carrier groups is nothing new; we evaluate it as part of the enemy's psychological operations, which should be ignored."
To Interpol, Vahidi is a fugitive under a "Red Notice"; to Argentina, he is the alleged mastermind of a "crime against the Jewish people"; and to Tehran, he is an iron-willed operative who has never faltered during days of brutal suppression and crisis. After decades of operating in the shadows of the intelligence and security apparatus, Vahidi has now emerged from the ashes of the June 2025 and March 2026 attacks to lead the IRGC during its most complex existential crisis. However, he has inherited an extremely precarious position; his own assassination could occur at any moment. Given his alleged direct involvement in the killing of Jews in Argentina, his continued survival remains a significant question mark.
A Path of Suppression to the High Command
Ahmad Vahidi, born Vahid Shahcheraghi in 1958 in Shiraz, aligned himself with the IRGC early in life. He joined the force in 1980 and fought throughout the eight-year Iran–Iraq War, rising to the rank of field commander. In 1988, he became the first commander of the Quds Force, the IRGC's overseas operations arm, a position he held until 1997. Since then, he has remained a central figure in shaping the Guard's operations beyond Iran's borders.
He later served as Minister of Defense under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. However, in 2006 - three years before joining the cabinet - Interpol placed him on a "Red Notice" list. After his ministerial term, he became a member of the Expediency Discernment Council.
During that period, while holding positions in both the Council and the Guard, his name became closely associated with the crackdown on the 2022 nationwide protests - a time when security forces were reported to have shot demonstrators not only in the head but also in the legs. He was also a firm supporter of the mandatory hijab policy, backing the use of warning text messages as a tool of enforcement. In January 2023, he stated: "Those who wear abnormal, inappropriate clothing or lack a hijab will receive warnings; submitting to the mandatory hijab law is a matter of citizenship rights." Furthermore, during the wave of mysterious schoolgirl poisonings in March 2023, he claimed: "Suspicious samples are being analyzed in reputable labs and results will be announced soon" - yet no convincing answer was ever provided.
Vahidi then became Minister of Interior in the government of Ebrahim Raisi. His tenure was marked by multiple controversies. In June 2023, a directive from his political deputy regarding restrictions on interaction between governors and parliament members during an election year sparked outrage. One MP stated on the floor: "This directive effectively limits a parliamentary term to three years and is an insult to the Majlis." Despite a massive push for his impeachment by over 100 MPs, he remained in his post.
Vahidi's ascent within the IRGC accelerated in 2025. A massive Israeli strike in June killed Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami, who was succeeded by Mohammad Pakpour. On December 31, 2025, Vahidi was named Deputy Commander. Many described this appointment as "strategic and surprising," as it coincided with the popular protests of January 8 and 9, 2026, which resulted in a massacre in which the IRGC played the leading role. The peak of his career occurred in March 2026, when Pakpour was killed alongside the Supreme Leader in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, and Vahidi was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC.
His career reached its highest point in March 2026, after Pakpour was killed alongside the Supreme Leader in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes. In the aftermath, Vahidi was named Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC.
Unlike figures such as Qasem Soleimani, Vahidi has largely remained out of the public spotlight, working behind the scenes rather than cultivating a public profile. Notably, some of his family members live in the United States and Canada - a detail that has fueled speculation about possible external connections and prompted questions about why he has not been targeted. His appointment at this critical moment suggests that, as the leadership structure weakens, the regime is turning to someone with deep experience in managing both internal unrest and external confrontations.
The mention of family members living in the West is a common point of contention for Iranians. Many high-ranking officials who chant "Death to America" have children living, studying, or investing in the very Western countries they claim to despise.
Vahidi: The Code Name for International Terror
Vahidi's activities beyond Iran's borders began with his role in establishing and leading the Quds Force, and many international observers see that period as laying the groundwork for Iran's asymmetric operations abroad. The most contentious allegation tied to his record is that he planned and oversaw the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The attack, which killed 85 people, remains one of the deadliest unsolved terrorist incidents of the 20th century. Argentine prosecutors, referring to judicial documents, say that Vahidi - who was serving as commander of the Quds Force at the time - played a central role in coordinating the operation through proxy networks.
In July 2024, Argentina issued an official statement during Vahidi's trip to Pakistan and Sri Lanka, asking Interpol and the host countries to arrest him for his alleged participation in the bombing. Furthermore, Argentina's Criminal High Court issued an unprecedented ruling describing Iran as directly responsible for the attack and labeling it a "crime against humanity." This international request is based on the "Red Notice" that has been active since 2006.
The growing judicial pressure over the past two years reflects the strategy of Argentina's right-wing President, Javier Milei, to bring an end to three decades of stalled progress in the AMIA case. Marking the 30th anniversary of the attack, Milei described the Iranian government as "terrorist" and proposed that suspects including Vahidi, Mohsen Rezaee, and Ali Akbar Velayati be tried in absentia.
Although the Islamic Republic has consistently denied the accusations and refused to extradite its officials, the contrast between Vahidi's high-ranking position at home and his legal standing abroad has turned him into one of Iran's most diplomatically isolated figures - while at the same time remaining one of its most powerful security strategists, known for operating in the shadows where the lines between formal diplomacy and covert action often blur.
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