Iran hard-liners consolidate leadership after war

Six months after the U.S.-Israel bombing campaign that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and much of the top leadership, Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has consolidated power around a hard-line core of military and clerical allies. In decrees announced August 11-12, he appointed Mohsen Rezaee as secretary of the Iran — Supreme National Security Council, Hossein Taeb as head of the Basij, and confirmed Ahmad Vahidi as head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, along with other military posts. The leadership is preparing for a prolonged confrontation with the U.S., threatening to halt Persian Gulf oil exports if economic pressure continues. President Masoud Pezeshkian and moderates advocate a negotiated end to the war, but hard-liners dominate. The June ceasefire collapsed amid mutual strikes. Iran demands release of frozen assets and authority over the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. maintains a blockade and plans new sanctions. No new protests have emerged, but the Basij's expanded role signals intent to suppress unrest.