Tehran, Apr 20 (IANS): Mohammad Reza Fallahzadeh has been appointed the Deputy Commander of the Iranians Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' (IRGC) elite Quds Force after his predecessor died of heart disease.

Fallahzadeh previously served as the deputy coordinator of the IRGC's Quds Force, before being offered this new position with the endorsement by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the IRGC's media arm said in a statement on Monday.

He was also the IRGC commander in Iran's central Yazd, Isfahan, and Fars provinces, reports Xinhua news agency.

Mohammad Hejazi, former deputy commander of the Quds Force of the IRGC, died of a chronic heart disease on Sunday.

Hejazi's death was announced by the IRGC but no further details were given about his demise.

The Quds Force is responsible for extra-territorial missions of the IRGC.

It reports directly to Khamenei.

The US has designated both the IRGC and Quds Force as a 'Foreign Terrorist Organization'.