New military lineup ...
Page 1
Preparing for multiple war scenarios
The need to neutralize US conventional and asymmetric war scenarios in the air, on land, at sea and in people-centered domestic security has become unavoidable, and the current lineup of appointments precisely reflects this necessity. The lineup makes clear Tehran’s readiness and firm resolve for a prolonged war of attrition, or at the very least to maintain an offensive posture in future negotiations and conflicts. The appointment of figures such as Ahmad Vahidi, with a background in commanding the Quds Force (IRGC’s overseas arm); Hossein Taeb, with extensive experience in intelligence and security; Ali Ozmaei, with a significant record of accompanying and commanding the navy under wartime conditions; Ali Abdollahi of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters; and Mohsen Rezaei, the former IRGC commander during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88), all attest to this doctrinal shift. The integration of the Armed Forces General Staff with the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters also underscores the need for unified command, allowing a faster and more coordinated response to combined military, cognitive and economic threats. The appointment of Hossein Taeb as head of the Basij Organization is likewise aimed at strengthening the grassroots intelligence network, making use of new technologies and organizing at the neighborhood level. This further reinforces the link between military power and society because, under a deterrence doctrine based on punishment, the adversary must know that even in the event of domestic pressure or infiltration, the cost of popular and intelligence resistance will also be extremely high.
Domestic consolidation, international deterrence
Domestically, the appointments will, in the short term, help consolidate the command structure and reduce public confusion, while strengthening the Basij will put at hand tools for social control and countering enemy provocations stemming from the economic pressure of the war. On the international stage, the message of these changes has been clearly understood by the United States and Israel. Tehran has demonstrated its readiness to respond in kind, step up the activities of the foreign allied forces known as the Axis of Resistance and carry out hard-hitting offensive operations, meaning any calculations by the adversary to launch an attack or apply greater pressure will inevitably have to factor in the cost of severe retaliation. From the standpoint of negotiations, this configuration also prepares Iran to bargain from a position of strength.
Ultimately, the Iranian leader’s recent appointments should be seen as a turning point in redefining the Islamic Republic of Iran’s security and military doctrine in line with the ongoing transition in the international order, a shift that will formalize Iran’s new regional and global role.