Report: Iran appoints new air force commander

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — State television says that Iran’s top leader has appointed a pilot of Russian fighter jets to command the nation’s air force. Sunday’s report said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s choice is Air Force Brig. Gen. Hamid Vahedi. The 56-year-old pilot was trained on a simulator for a Sukhoi-24, a Russian fighter jet, from 2000 to 2001. He worked as the acting commander of the air force since 2018. As commander, Vahedi succeeds F-14 Tomcat pilot Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh. The change is part of routine replacement of army commanders. The country’s air force has both Russian and American-made made jet fighters in service.