Iran's new supreme leader prepares military for prolonged confrontation with US and Israel

A portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, held aloft during the funeral procession for his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran on July 6, 2026. AFP Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has remained absent from public view since assuming office in March, but in recent days has made a series of appointments that will allow him to reshape a large part of the Islamic Republic's military and security leadership. The move appears to serve a dual purpose: consolidating his own power and transforming the security apparatus into a structure capable of preparing for a prolonged confrontation with the United States and Israel, combining deterrence, offensive capabilities, internal control and pressure around the Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, August 10, Khamenei appointed several senior commanders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran's ideological army, to strategic positions. Among them is Ali Abdollahi, who was named chief of staff. His main task will be to complete the integration of the Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters – a joint command structure responsible for supervising and coordinating military operations – into the general staff to further centralize command and coordination of the armed forces. You have 84.51% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.