Iran's Leader Shifts Power to Military, Consolidating Guard's Control

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is consolidating the power of the Revolutionary Guard, transforming the "Republic of turbans" into a "Republic of kepis" – a reference to military headwear. Khamenei has appointed six veterans from the military and security apparatus to crucial roles, signaling a significant shift in the country's power structure. These appointments extend the Revolutionary Guard's grip over the army, foreign strategy, and domestic control. The president, in this new configuration, seems relegated to a managerial function, with substantive authority now residing within the security establishment. The decrees issued indicate a fusion of command centers, preparation for offensive operations, strengthening of maritime intelligence, and an expansion of the regime's internal network. This move clearly confirms the takeover of the system by the Revolutionary Guard, according to David Rigoulet-Roze, a researcher at the French Institute for Strategic Analysis.