The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Spokesperson has announced that Intelligence Directorate Leader Hoseein Taeb has been replaced by the Iranian government. “IRGC chief Major General Hossein Salami appointed General Mohammad Kazemi as the new head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization,” Guards spokesman Ramezan Sharif says in the statement. Kazemi was the leader of Counter-Intelligence Operations within the RIGC Intelligence Directorate.

Taeb’s relief comes amidst Israeli accusations that he orchestrated several failed attacks against Israeli citizens in Istanbul, which the Israeli government has been warning of for the past two weeks.

Taeb joined the IRGC in 1982 and was the leader of the Basij, a civilian force consisting of young Iranians who volunteer, often in exchange for official benefits. Basij members serve as an auxiliary force engaged in activities such as internal security, enforcing state control over society. Taeb led the group in suppression of protests during the 2099 protests, as well as the 2017-2018 protests. In 2022, he and his family members were sanctioned by the US Department of States for his involvement in human rights violations in Iran.