Is Khamenei’s army, IRGC reshuffle sign of possible military strike on Iran?

Analysts have seen major changes brought about by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in recent months in the ranks of the army and Revolutionary Guards commanders as a sign of a possible and impending military strike against Iran.

Iranwire website quoted analysts as saying that the changes were part of the preparations for war and coincided with Iran’s announcement of the production of a homemade fighter jet, which boomeranged on Tehran after it turned out to be a failed copy of a US F-5 fighter jet, produced in the 1960s, where it crashed in its first experiment on August 26. Read more

According to Iranian news agencies, a ruling issued by Khamenei as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and addressed to the new commander of the air force Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh, who replaced General Hassan Shahsafi, said : “You are expected to pay attention to the training and use of skilled pilots and the use of equipment through the development of self-sufficiency in the defense and air industries, and the modernization of the exercises,” Khamenei said.

He added: “We need the transfer of expertise and scientific and technical knowledge to the younger generation, raising the capacity and combat readiness and raising the moral level of the members and attention to meet their living needs, in accordance with building an air force fit with the regime and the revolution.”

On August 20, the Iranian leader appointed former Defense Minister Brigadier General Hussein Dehqan, a senior commander of the Revolutionary Guards, as an advisor to the General Command of the Armed Forces in the field of defense industries and support of the armed forces.

Also read: Khamenei appoints new IRGC Navy chief