New York Times reports today: Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei has transferred significant power to Ali Larijani, head of the National Security Council, as the country prepares for a potential war with the United States and Israel.
Larijani currently controls Iran's core security, military, and foreign affairs, while President Masoud Pezeshkian has been sidelined.
Khamenei has ordered the development of comprehensive contingency plans, including a multi-tiered succession mechanism in case senior leaders, including himself, are killed in an attack.
The Iranian military has entered a high state of alert, deploying missile systems to strategic locations, conducting military exercises, and deploying internal security forces to suppress potential unrest during wartime.
Commentary: This power restructuring and military buildup by Iran is a very clear signal of imminent war. The reason Iran has decisively sidelined the president at this critical moment and concentrated the authority over military, political, and diplomatic affairs in the hands of the security chief Larijani is essentially abandoning civilian governance and switching to an efficient wartime system. In an extreme environment where direct conflict with the US and Israel may occur, the daily administrative system is slow in decision-making, weak in coordination, and unable to cope with decapitation strikes and sudden battlefield situations. Only by concentrating power highly in the core of security and the military can unified command and rapid response be achieved, while also preventing internal divisions and instability, ensuring the survival and operation of the regime under intense confrontation. This is a typical layout where "everything yields to survival" in times of crisis.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857819416339467/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.