IRGC Hardliner Appointed as Deputy Interior Minister

The Iranian interior minister has appointed a hardline commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as his new deputy for political affairs ahead of parliamentary elections in March.

In his new post, Mohammad Taqi Shahcheraghi will chair the Election Supervisory Board, the body in charge of organizing the vote.

Shahcheraghi formerly held the positions of governor of Qom and commander of the province’s Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Corps. He also served as IRGC commander in the provinces of Semnan, Golestan, Markazi, Mazandaran and Tehran. 

He succeeds Mohammad Reza Gholamreza as interior minister for political affairs.

Gholamreza left the post amid a bitter conflict between the Ministry of Interior and more than 200 members of parliaments over the election process.

The lawmakers initially sought to impeach Minister of Interior Ahmad Vahidi, who decided to sacrifice his deputy after weeks of intense pressure.

Since Ebrahim Raisi became president of the Islamic Republic in August 2021, many key positions in the country have been filled with IRGC commanders. 

Vahidi himself is a former IRGC commander who has been sanctioned by the European Union for his involvement in “serious human rights violations.”