Mojtaba Khamenei Orders 2 Military Bodies Merged as Iran Rebuilds Wartime Command
Updated
Updated · Institute for the Study of War · Aug 11
Mojtaba Khamenei Orders 2 Military Bodies Merged as Iran Rebuilds Wartime Command
3 articles · Updated · Institute for the Study of War · Aug 11
Summary
August 10 orders told Armed Forces General Staff chief Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi to complete the merger of the AFGS and Khatam ol Anbia Central Headquarters, reversing a 2016 split.
The move is meant to speed wartime decisions and tighten coordination between the Artesh and IRGC after US-Israeli strikes in 2025 and 2026 killed senior commanders and disrupted Iran’s response chain.
The merger follows Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment of six senior commanders and a new national security chief, steps that largely formalize an emerging command structure while deepening his inner circle’s control.
ISW-CTP said the reshuffle reinforces Iran’s hardline posture on the Strait of Hormuz, US troop withdrawal and the nuclear program as the regime rebuilds after decapitation campaigns.