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Korea Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Iran leader Khamenei sees his inner circle hollowed out by Israel
Iran's 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cuts an increasingly lonely figure. Khamenei has seen his main military and security advisers killed by Israeli airstrikes, leaving major holes in his inner circle and raising the risk of strategic errors, according to five people familiar with his decision-making process. One of those sources, who regularly attends meetings with Khamenei, described the risk of miscalculation to Iran on issues of defence and internal stability as "extremely dangerous." Several senior military commanders have been killed since Friday including Khamenei's main advisers from the Revolutionary Guards, Iran's elite military force: the Guards' overall commander Hossein Salami, its aerospace chief Amir Ali Hajizadeh who headed Iran's ballistic missile program and spymaster Mohammad Kazemi. These men were part of the supreme leader's inner circle of roughly 15-20 advisers comprising Guards commanders, clerics, and politicians, according to the sources who include three people who attend or have attended meetings with the leader on major issues and two close to officials who regularly attend. The loose group meets on an ad-hoc basis, when Khamenei's office reaches out to relevant advisers to gather at his compound in Tehran to discuss an important decision, all the people said. Members are characterised by unwavering loyalty to him and the ideology of the Islamic Republic, they added. Khamenei, who was imprisoned before the 1979 revolution and maimed by a bomb attack before becoming leader in 1989, is profoundly committed to maintaining Iran's Islamic system of government and deeply mistrustful of the West. Under Iran's system of government he has supreme command of the armed forces, the power to declare war, and can appoint or dismiss senior figures including military commanders and judges. Khamenei makes the final decision on important matters, though he values advice, listens attentively to diverse viewpoints, and often seeks additional information from his counsellors, according to one source who attends meetings. "Two things you can say about Khamenei: he is extremely stubborn but also extremely cautious. He is very cautious. That is why he has been in power for as long as he has," said Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute think-tank in Washington. "Khamenei is pretty well placed to do the basic cost-benefit analysis which really fundamentally gets to one issue more important than anything else: regime survival." The focus on survival has repeatedly been put to the test. Khamenei has deployed the Revolutionary Guards and its affiliated Basij militia to quell national protests in 1999, 2009 and 2022. While the security forces have always been able to outlast demonstrators and restore state rule, years of Western sanctions have caused widespread economic misery that analysts say could ultimately threaten internal unrest. The stakes could barely be higher for Khamenei who faces an escalating war with Israel, which has targeted nuclear and military sites and personnel with air attacks, drawing retaliatory Iranian missile fire. The five people familiar with Khamenei's decision-making process stressed that other insiders who have not been targeted by Israel's strikes remain important and influential, including top advisers on political, economic and diplomatic issues. Khamenei designates such advisers to handle issues as they arise, extending his reach directly into a wide array of institutions spanning military, security, cultural, political and economic domains, two of the sources said. Operating this way, including in bodies nominally under the elected president, means Khamenei's office is often involved not only in the biggest questions of state but in executing even minor initiatives, according to the people with knowledge. His son Mojtaba has grown ever more central to this process over the past 20 years, the sources said, building a role that cuts between the personalities, factions and organisations involved to coordinate on specific issues, the sources said. A mid-ranking cleric seen by some insiders as a potential successor to his ageing father, Mojtaba has built close ties with the Guards, giving him added leverage across Iran's political and security apparatus, the people added. Ali Asghar Hejazi, the deputy of political security affairs at Khamenei's office, has been involved in sensitive security decisions and is often described as the most powerful intelligence official in Iran, according to the sources said. Meanwhile, the head of Khamenei's office, Mohammad Golpayegani, as well as former foreign ministers Ali Akbar Velayati and Kamal Kharazi, and ex-parliament speaker Ali Larijani, remain trusted confidants on diplomatic and domestic policies issues such as the nuclear dispute, the people said. The loss of the Revolutionary Guards commanders nonetheless decimates the top ranks of a military organisation that Khamenei has put at the center of power since becoming supreme leader in 1989, relying on it for both internal security and regional strategy. While the regular army chain of command runs through the Defense Ministry under the elected president, the Guards answer personally to Khamenei, securing the best military equipment for their land, air and sea branches and giving their commanders a major state role. As he faces one of the most dangerous moments in the Islamic Republic's history, Khamenei finds himself further isolated by the recent losses other key advisers in the region as Iran's "Axis of Resistance" coalition has been hammered by Israel. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who was personally close to the Iranian leader, was killed by an Israeli airstrike in September last year and Syrian President Bashar Assad was overthrown by rebels in December. (Reuters)
NDTV
2 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei Sees His Inner Circle Hollowed Out By Israel
Dubai: Iran's 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cuts an increasingly lonely figure. Khamenei has seen his main military and security advisers killed by Israeli air strikes, leaving major holes in his inner circle and raising the risk of strategic errors, according to five people familiar with his decision-making process. One of those sources, who regularly attends meetings with Khamenei, described the risk of miscalculation to Iran on issues of defence and internal stability as "extremely dangerous". Several senior military commanders have been killed since Friday including Khamenei's main advisers from the Revolutionary Guards, Iran's elite military force: the Guards' overall commander Hossein Salami, its aerospace chief Amir Ali Hajizadeh who headed Iran's ballistic missile program and spymaster Mohammad Kazemi. These men were part of the supreme leader's inner circle of roughly 15-20 advisers comprising Guards commanders, clerics, and politicians, according to the sources who include three people who attend or have attended meetings with the leader on major issues and two close to officials who regularly attend. The loose group meets on an ad-hoc basis, when Khamenei's office reaches out to relevant advisers to gather at his compound in Tehran to discuss an important decision, all the people said. Members are characterised by unwavering loyalty to him and the ideology of the Islamic Republic, they added. Khamenei, who was imprisoned before the 1979 revolution and maimed by a bomb attack before becoming leader in 1989, is profoundly committed to maintaining Iran's Islamic system of government and deeply mistrustful of the West. Under Iran's system of government he has supreme command of the armed forces, the power to declare war, and can appoint or dismiss senior figures including military commanders and judges. Khamenei makes the final decision on important matters, though he values advice, listens attentively to diverse viewpoints, and often seeks additional information from his counsellors, according to one source who attends meetings. "Two things you can say about Khamenei: he is extremely stubborn but also extremely cautious. He is very cautious. That is why he has been in power for as long as he has," said Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute think-tank in Washington. "Khamenei is pretty well placed to do the basic cost-benefit analysis which really fundamentally gets to one issue more important than anything else: regime survival." KHAMENEI'S SON AT THE FORE The focus on survival has repeatedly been put to the test. Khamenei has deployed the Revolutionary Guards and its affiliated Basij militia to quell national protests in 1999, 2009 and 2022. While the security forces have always been able to outlast demonstrators and restore state rule, years of Western sanctions have caused widespread economic misery that analysts say could ultimately threaten internal unrest. The stakes could barely be higher for Khamenei who faces an escalating war with Israel, which has targeted nuclear and military sites and personnel with air attacks, drawing retaliatory Iranian missile fire. The five people familiar with Khamenei's decision-making process stressed that other insiders who have not been targeted by Israel's strikes remain important and influential, including top advisers on political, economic and diplomatic issues. Khamenei designates such advisers to handle issues as they arise, extending his reach directly into a wide array of institutions spanning military, security, cultural, political and economic domains, two of the sources said. Operating this way, including in bodies nominally under the elected president, means Khamenei's office is often involved not only in the biggest questions of state but in executing even minor initiatives, according to the people with knowledge. His son Mojtaba has grown ever more central to this process over the past 20 years, the sources said, building a role that cuts between the personalities, factions and organisations involved to coordinate on specific issues, the sources said. A mid-ranking cleric seen by some insiders as a potential successor to his ageing father, Mojtaba has built close ties with the Guards, giving him added leverage across Iran's political and security apparatus, the people added. Ali Asghar Hejazi, the deputy of political security affairs at Khamenei's office, has been involved in sensitive security decisions and is often described as the most powerful intelligence official in Iran, according to the sources said. Meanwhile, the head of Khamenei's office, Mohammad Golpayegani, as well as former foreign ministers Ali Akbar Velayati and Kamal Kharazi, and ex-parliament speaker Ali Larijani, remain trusted confidants on diplomatic and domestic policies issues such as the nuclear dispute, the people said. The loss of the Revolutionary Guards commanders nonetheless decimates the top ranks of a military organisation that Khamenei has put at the centre of power since becoming supreme leader in 1989, relying on it for both internal security and regional strategy. While the regular army chain of command runs through the defence ministry under the elected president, the Guards answer personally to Khamenei, securing the best military equipment for their land, air and sea branches and giving their commanders a major state role. As he faces one of the most dangerous moments in the Islamic Republic's history, Khamenei finds himself further isolated by the recent losses other key advisers in the region as Iran's "Axis of Resistance" coalition has been hammered by Israel. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who was personally close to the Iranian leader, was killed by an Israeli airstrike in September last year and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by rebels in December.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Iran Supreme Leader Khamenei isolated, son rising, as inner circle falls to Israeli strikes
Amid Israel's unrelenting attacks on Iran to stop it from going further with its nuclear plans, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, once backed by a close-knit web of trusted commanders and strategists, now finds himself increasingly isolated after a string of targeted Israeli airstrikes that have decimated his inner circle. At 86, Ayatollah Khamenei appears to be steering Iran through one of its most perilous geopolitical moments, whilst himself being one if Israel's main targets, with several of his top military and intelligence advisers either dead or missing—shaking the core of his decision-making apparatus and sparking concerns of steps that could potentially backfire. According to a Reuters report, which cited five individuals familiar with the inner workings of Khamenei's circle, the loss of senior Revolutionary Guards officials—those most trusted by the Supreme Leader—has created a significant strategic vacuum. Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu on Monday, in an interview with ABC News, suggested that eliminating Ali Khamenei would not escalate the war but would 'end it'. One of the sources cited in the Reuters report, who frequently attends meetings with Khamenei, warned the situation has reached a critical juncture. 'The risk of miscalculation to Iran on issues of defence and internal stability is extremely dangerous,' the report quoted the source as saying. The recent Israeli air raids, which intensified over the past week, has killed several top commanders including Guards commander Hossein Salami, Amir Ali Hajizadeh—the head of Iran's missile program—and Mohammad Kazemi, its top intelligence chief. All of the above-mentioned people were believed to be among the 15–20 people considered part of Khamenei's core advisory team. This ad-hoc group, comprised senior clerics, politicians, and Revolutionary Guards elites, meets when summoned by Khamenei's office to deliberate on critical issues. Their hallmark trait? Absolute loyalty—to Khamenei and to the ideology of the Islamic Republic. Since rising to power in 1989, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has managed to get ultimate control over Iran's armed forces and key state appointments. Despite his iron grip, insiders say he regularly consults his advisers, listens to competing viewpoints, and insists on detailed information before deciding. 'Two things you can say about Khamenei: he is extremely stubborn but also extremely cautious. He is very cautious. That is why he has been in power for as long as he has,' the report quoted Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute. 'Khamenei is pretty well placed to do the basic cost-benefit analysis which really fundamentally gets to one issue more important than anything else: regime survival,' he added. The recent string of assassinations comes at a time of maximum pressure: surging unrest at home due to a crumbling economy under Western sanctions, and escalating conflict with Israel, which has stepped up its strikes on Iranian military and nuclear targets. Khamenei's hold on power has historically relied on the Revolutionary Guards and its Basij militia to crush protests in 1999, 2009, and 2022. While these forces have always restored state control, analysts warn the economic pain could one day spark unrest too deep to suppress. Though military casualties have grabbed headlines, political and diplomatic advisers still form a functioning backbone. Among those still in Khamenei's confidence are foreign policy veterans Ali Akbar Velayati, Kamal Kharazi, ex-parliament speaker Ali Larijani, and intelligence heavyweight Ali Asghar Hejazi. Still, the absence of key military figures and open threats by Israeli government creates a dangerous blind spot in Iran's most vital arena—its regional military strategy and internal security. In the shadows of this power reshuffling stands Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, whose role over the last two decades is said to have expanded significantly. A mid-ranking cleric, Mojtaba has grown into a powerful behind-the-scenes coordinator, interfacing with multiple factions, especially the Guards, and is increasingly viewed as a possible successor. Outside Iran, losses have been just as severe for Khamenei. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, a close ally, was killed in an Israeli strike in September. In December, Syria's Bashar al-Assad—another key member of Iran's "Axis of Resistance"—was overthrown by rebels. As Khamenei confronts perhaps the most risky phase of his rule, his famed caution may be tested like never before—this time, without many of the voices he once depended on and further isolation by the recent losses other key advisers in the region dueto the hammering of Iran's "Axis of Resistance" by Israel. Lebanon's armed group Hezbollah, Houthi rebels of Yemen and the Hamas militant outfit of Palestine along with other Iran's proxies and Iranian-backed groups are called the 'Axis of Resistance.'
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Iran leader Khamenei sees his inner circle hollowed out by Israel
Iran's 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cuts an increasingly lonely figure. Khamenei has seen his main military and security advisers killed by Israeli air strikes, leaving major holes in his inner circle and raising the risk of strategic errors, according to five people familiar with his decision-making process. One of those sources, who regularly attends meetings with Khamenei, described the risk of miscalculation to Iran on issues of defence and internal stability as "extremely dangerous". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Remember Charlie Sheen's Ex-Wife? You Won't Believe What She Looks Like Now! Click Here Undo Several senior military commanders have been killed since Friday including Khamenei's main advisers from the Revolutionary Guards, Iran's elite military force: the Guards' overall commander Hossein Salami, its aerospace chief Amir Ali Hajizadeh who headed Iran's ballistic missile program and spymaster Mohammad Kazemi. These men were part of the supreme leader's inner circle of roughly 15-20 advisers comprising Guards commanders, clerics, and politicians, according to the sources who including three people who attend or have attended meetings with the leader on major issues and two close to officials who regularly attend. Live Events The loose group meets on an ad-hoc basis, when Khamenei's office reaches out to relevant advisers to gather at his compound in Tehran to discuss an important decision, all the people said. Members are characterised by unwavering loyalty to him and the ideology of the Islamic Republic, they added. Khamenei, who was imprisoned before the 1979 revolution and maimed by a bomb attack before becoming leader in 1989, is profoundly committed to maintaining Iran's Islamic system of government and deeply mistrustful of the West. Under Iran's system of government he has supreme command of the armed forces, the power to declare war, and can appoint or dismiss senior figures including military commanders and judges. Khamenei makes the final decision on important matters, though he values advice, listens attentively to diverse viewpoints, and often seeks additional information from his counsellors, according to one source who attends meetings. "Two things you can say about Khamenei: he is extremely stubborn but also extremely cautious. He is very cautious. That is why he has been in power for as long as he has," said Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute think-tank in Washington. "Khamenei is pretty well placed to do the basic cost-benefit analysis which really fundamentally gets to one issue more important than anything else: regime survival." KHAMENEI'S SON AT THE FORE The focus on survival has repeatedly been put to the test. Khamenei has deployed the Revolutionary Guards and its affiliated Basij militia to quell national protests in 1999, 2009 and 2022. However, while the security forces have always been able to outlast demonstrators and restore state rule, years of Western sanctions have caused widespread economic misery that analysts say could ultimately threaten internal unrest. The stakes could barely be higher for Khamenei who faces an escalating war with Israel, which has targeted nuclear and military sites and personnel with air attacks, drawing retaliatory Iranian missile fire, insiders and analysts said. The five people familiar with Khamenei's decision-making process stressed that other insiders who have not been targeted by Israel's strikes remain important and influential, including top advisers on political, economic and diplomatic issues. Khamenei designates such advisers to handle issues as they arise, extending his reach directly into a wide array of institutions spanning military, security, cultural, political and economic domains, two of the sources said. Operating this way, including in bodies nominally under the elected president, means Khamenei's office is often involved not only in the biggest questions of state but in executing even minor initiatives, the sources said. His son Mojtaba has over the past 20 years grown ever more central to this process, the sources said, building a role that cuts between the personalities, factions and organisations involved to coordinate on specific issues, the sources said. A mid-ranking cleric seen by some insiders as a potential successor to his ageing father, Mojtaba has built close ties with the Guards giving him added leverage within across Iran's political and security apparatus, the sources said. Ali Asghar Hejazi, the deputy of political security affairs at Khamenei's office, has been involved in sensitive security decisions and is often described as the most powerful intelligence official in Iran, the sources said. Meanwhile, the head of Khamenei's office, Mohammad Golpayegani, as well as former Iranian foreign ministers Ali Akbar Velayati and Kamal Kharazi, and ex-parliament speaker Ali Larijani, remain trusted confidants on diplomatic and domestic policies issues such as the nuclear dispute, the sources said. The loss of the Revolutionary Guards commanders nonetheless decimates the top ranks of a military organisation that he has put at the centre of power since becoming supreme leader in 1989, relying on it for both internal security and Iran's regional strategy. While the regular army chain of command runs through the defence ministry under the elected president, the Guards answer personally to Khamenei, securing the best military equipment for their land, air and sea branches and giving their commanders a major state role. As he faces one of the most dangerous moments in the Islamic Republic's history, Khamenei finds himself further isolated by the recent losses other key advisers in the region as Iran's "Axis of Resistance" coalition has been hammered by Israel. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who was personally close to the Iranian leader, was killed by an Israeli airstrike in September last year and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by rebels in December.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Iran leader Khamenei sees his inner circle hollowed out by Israel
FILE PHOTO: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during the 36th anniversary of the death of the leader of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, at Khomeini's shrine in southern Tehran, Iran June 4, 2025. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/File photo DUBAI/LONDON - Iran's 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cuts an increasingly lonely figure. Khamenei has seen his main military and security advisers killed by Israeli air strikes, leaving major holes in his inner circle and raising the risk of strategic errors, according to five people familiar with his decision-making process. One of those sources, who regularly attends meetings with Khamenei, described the risk of miscalculation to Iran on issues of defence and internal stability as "extremely dangerous". Several senior military commanders have been killed since Friday including Khamenei's main advisers from the Revolutionary Guards, Iran's elite military force: the Guards' overall commander Hossein Salami, its aerospace chief Amir Ali Hajizadeh who headed Iran's ballistic missile program and spymaster Mohammad Kazemi. These men were part of the supreme leader's inner circle of roughly 15-20 advisers comprising Guards commanders, clerics, and politicians, according to the sources who including three people who attend or have attended meetings with the leader on major issues and two close to officials who regularly attend. The loose group meets on an ad-hoc basis, when Khamenei's office reaches out to relevant advisers to gather at his compound in Tehran to discuss an important decision, all the people said. Members are characterised by unwavering loyalty to him and the ideology of the Islamic Republic, they added. Khamenei, who was imprisoned before the 1979 revolution and maimed by a bomb attack before becoming leader in 1989, is profoundly committed to maintaining Iran's Islamic system of government and deeply mistrustful of the West. Under Iran's system of government he has supreme command of the armed forces, the power to declare war, and can appoint or dismiss senior figures including military commanders and judges. Khamenei makes the final decision on important matters, though he values advice, listens attentively to diverse viewpoints, and often seeks additional information from his counsellors, according to one source who attends meetings. "Two things you can say about Khamenei: he is extremely stubborn but also extremely cautious. He is very cautious. That is why he has been in power for as long as he has," said Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute think-tank in Washington. "Khamenei is pretty well placed to do the basic cost-benefit analysis which really fundamentally gets to one issue more important than anything else: regime survival." KHAMENEI'S SON AT THE FORE The focus on survival has repeatedly been put to the test. Khamenei has deployed the Revolutionary Guards and its affiliated Basij militia to quell national protests in 1999, 2009 and 2022. However, while the security forces have always been able to outlast demonstrators and restore state rule, years of Western sanctions have caused widespread economic misery that analysts say could ultimately threaten internal unrest. The stakes could barely be higher for Khamenei who faces an escalating war with Israel, which has targeted nuclear and military sites and personnel with air attacks, drawing retaliatory Iranian missile fire, insiders and analysts said. The five people familiar with Khamenei's decision-making process stressed that other insiders who have not been targeted by Israel's strikes remain important and influential, including top advisers on political, economic and diplomatic issues. Khamenei designates such advisers to handle issues as they arise, extending his reach directly into a wide array of institutions spanning military, security, cultural, political and economic domains, two of the sources said. Operating this way, including in bodies nominally under the elected president, means Khamenei's office is often involved not only in the biggest questions of state but in executing even minor initiatives, the sources said. His son Mojtaba has over the past 20 years grown ever more central to this process, the sources said, building a role that cuts between the personalities, factions and organisations involved to coordinate on specific issues, the sources said. A mid-ranking cleric seen by some insiders as a potential successor to his ageing father, Mojtaba has built close ties with the Guards giving him added leverage within across Iran's political and security apparatus, the sources said. Ali Asghar Hejazi, the deputy of political security affairs at Khamenei's office, has been involved in sensitive security decisions and is often described as the most powerful intelligence official in Iran, the sources said. Meanwhile, the head of Khamenei's office, Mohammad Golpayegani, as well as former Iranian foreign ministers Ali Akbar Velayati and Kamal Kharazi, and ex-parliament speaker Ali Larijani, remain trusted confidants on diplomatic and domestic policies issues such as the nuclear dispute, the sources said. The loss of the Revolutionary Guards commanders nonetheless decimates the top ranks of a military organisation that he has put at the centre of power since becoming supreme leader in 1989, relying on it for both internal security and Iran's regional strategy. While the regular army chain of command runs through the defence ministry under the elected president, the Guards answer personally to Khamenei, securing the best military equipment for their land, air and sea branches and giving their commanders a major state role. As he faces one of the most dangerous moments in the Islamic Republic's history, Khamenei finds himself further isolated by the recent losses other key advisers in the region as Iran's "Axis of Resistance" coalition has been hammered by Israel. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who was personally close to the Iranian leader, was killed by an Israeli airstrike in September last year and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by rebels in December. 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