Iran sharpens military posture as US talks stall

Iran has reshaped its military leadership around battle-tested hardliners and ordered stronger offensive capabilities as negotiations with the United States remain deadlocked, signalling that Tehran is preparing for a prolonged confrontation rather than an early settlement to the Gulf war.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has appointed six senior commanders across the Armed Forces General Staff, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij, placing veterans with extensive operational, intelligence and asymmetric-warfare experience at the centre of the wartime command structure. The changes follow months of fighting that exposed weaknesses in Iran’s military leadership and command-and-control system.

Major-General Ahmad Vahidi has been formally confirmed as commander-in-chief of the IRGC after assuming the role earlier in the conflict. Khamenei specifically instructed him to strengthen deterrence and readiness for “powerful offensive operations”, language that points towards a more assertive doctrine built around the ability to retaliate rapidly when Iranian territory or interests are attacked.

Vahidi, a founding-generation Revolutionary Guard figure, previously served in senior intelligence roles and headed the elite Quds Force, which conducts operations outside Iran. He has also served as defence and interior minister. His return to the highest operational level gives Tehran a commander deeply familiar with unconventional warfare and the regional networks that have long formed an important part of Iran’s security strategy.

Mostafa Izadi has been appointed Vahidi’s deputy, while Major-General Ali Abdollahi has become chief of staff of the Armed Forces. Brigadier-General Kioumars Heydari was named Abdollahi’s deputy, Rear Admiral Ali Ozmaei was appointed commander of the IRGC Navy and Hossein Taeb took charge of the Basij. The appointments consolidate authority around figures whose careers span the Revolutionary Guard, intelligence operations and internal security.

The military reshuffle coincides with another major change at the top of Iran’s security establishment. Former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaei has been appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, replacing Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr. Rezaei commanded the Revolutionary Guard from 1981 to 1997 and has adopted a hard line over the continuing confrontation with Washington.

Tehran’s harder military posture comes as attempts to revive the June interim agreement with Washington have stalled. The accord envisaged an immediate termination of military operations and provided a 60-day period for negotiating a permanent settlement involving Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions and other outstanding disputes. President Donald Trump declared the arrangement over on July 7, while Tehran formally suspended it days later.

Iran says Washington failed to fulfil commitments that included easing the blockade of Iranian ports and releasing frozen Iranian assets. The United States accuses Tehran of failing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials said on August 12 that there had been no progress towards restoring the interim framework or establishing a timetable for either side to implement its commitments.

The strait remains at the heart of the confrontation. Before the war, the narrow channel between Iran and Oman carried about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows. Iran has insisted that it will not fully reopen the waterway unless Washington accepts its conditions, while Trump says the United States has established control over the strategic shipping route.

Rezaei has linked reopening Hormuz to the release of frozen Iranian assets and an end to conflicts elsewhere in the region, including Lebanon and Gaza. His position underscores how Tehran is seeking to connect negotiations over the Gulf conflict with a wider set of regional demands rather than treating the war as an isolated bilateral dispute.

Military pressure has continued alongside diplomacy. The United States maintains a blockade on Iranian ports and has used force against commercial vessels it says are attempting to breach it. Iran and aligned armed groups have also maintained pressure around critical maritime routes, adding to uncertainty over energy supplies and commercial shipping. Brent crude has remained volatile after reaching $126 a barrel at its wartime peak.

Thousands of people have been killed since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28. Tehran has retaliated against US-linked assets and infrastructure across several countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, transforming what began as direct strikes on Iran into a broader regional security crisis.