After remaining largely out of the public eye for nearly six months, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has made his position on the country’s system of governance more explicit.
He has appointed a group of hard-line and veteran military commanders to key security positions. According to analysts, the reshuffle this month suggests that he wants to keep the country prepared for a potential war.
The development was reported by The New York Times on Monday.
Analysts say Tehran is looking for a way to end the conflict without giving up the strategic advantages it has gained—particularly its control over the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the report, although the intensity of the conflict has eased somewhat, neither Washington nor Tehran appears willing to make concessions to reach an agreement over the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, the 60-day deadline set for reaching a deal on Iran’s nuclear program expired on Monday.
The deadlock has pushed the entire region into a state of uncertainty, with the possibility that the situation could escalate into a full-scale war at any moment.
Among Khamenei’s notable appointments is Mohsen Rezaei, who led Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during the Iran-Iraq War. He has been appointed head of the Supreme National Security Council.
Another key appointment is Hossein Taeb, a cleric and former intelligence chief, who has been placed in charge of the Basij forces. The Basij is a powerful paramilitary network that has frequently been deployed to suppress anti-government protests.
The reshuffle also includes the appointment of a new chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, a new commander of the Revolutionary Guards, and a new commander of the IRGC Navy.
The appointment of the new naval commander is particularly significant because the Strait of Hormuz has become increasingly important from a strategic and military perspective.
