Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei formally appointed six senior military commanders on Monday, marking a significant wartime reshuffle as Tehran reconstructs its command structure affected by months of U.S. and Israeli strikes. The appointments, announced by Khamenei’s office and publicized on social media, cover posts across Iran’s armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the Basij paramilitary force.

A counterterrorism expert, Dr. Omar Mohammed, director of the Antisemitism Research Initiative at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, told Fox News Digital that the timing and language of these decrees indicate Tehran is preparing for a "prolonged confrontation" and not a settlement with Washington. Mohammed noted that the phrase used in formal state documents effectively codifies the United States as a co-belligerent.

IRGC Commander Ahmad Vahidi, described by analysts as a major hardliner, is reportedly central to Iran's negotiation strategy. Fox News correspondent Jeff Paul detailed Vahidi's rise during the Iran-Iraq War and his alleged connections to terror attacks, including the 1983 Beirut bombing and the 1994 Argentina bombing, raising concerns about who controls Iran's military decisions. Mohammed added that Vahidi was instructed by the Supreme Leader to maintain readiness for "powerful offensive operations against the enemy," while another commander, Abdollahi, was tasked with integrating the General Staff into the Khatam al-Anbiya wartime joint command.

The reshuffle follows the deaths of key figures such as Ali Larijani, former secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij, who were killed in strikes on March 17. Additionally, Heydari, another senior commander, was sanctioned by the United States in 2022 after the Treasury Department stated he publicly acknowledged his forces’ involvement in the violent crackdown on Iran’s November 2019 protests, which resulted in hundreds of deaths.

President Masoud Pezeshkian reported holding a nearly seven-hour meeting with Khamenei, only the second publicly disclosed since the new supreme leader took office, according to Iran International.

These developments underscore Tehran's intent to solidify its military leadership and prepare for ongoing conflict rather than pursue immediate diplomatic resolution.

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