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strikeApr 9, 2026

There Are Only 27 Asiatic Cheetahs Left in the Wild. War in Iran Could Wipe Out World's Rarest Big Cat

Summary

Before the war began in February 2026, there was some rare good news for Iran’s imperiled Asiatic cheetahs. Rangers spotted and filmed a female in the North Khorasan province accompanied by five cubs — a first. No more than four had ever been seen before, and every individual counts. The Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) is the world’s most endangered big cat, and the number counted in the wild rose to 27. Bagher Nezami, national director of the Conservation of the Asiatic Cheetah Project, told Iranian state-controlled media that these were “ID-carded” cheetahs, known individuals being monitored by researchers. Another five remain in breeding sites and six in captivity, he said. This represented a significant leap: In August last year, the Tehran Times reported that just 20 were left in the wild. Nine days after the sighting of the five cubs, the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, prompting a swift retaliation that has since escalated into a regional conflict with global repercussions — and poses a new threat to a big cat that hovers on the brink of extinction. A species on the brink The Asiatic cheetah was once found throughout Central and Southwest Asia, with a range that spanned from the Arabian Peninsula to the Caspian Sea and as far east as India. However, this cat was extirpated from most of its range during the 20th century through a deadly combination of hunting, habitat loss and prey depletion. It is now relegated to just 16% of its former territory, confined within Iran. There hasn’t been physical evidence of the cat’s presence elsewhere since 1982. This cheetah was designated as a protected species in Iran in 1959 and was the focus of conservation efforts through the 1960s and ’70s. But the tumult that followed the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and later the Iran-Iraq war, have been referred to as “lost years” for the species’ conservation. By the 1990s, the Asiatic cheetah had almost completely disappeared, their numbers thinned by vehicle collisions, poaching, human-wildlife conflict, prey depletion and habitat loss. The IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority, designated the subspecies critically endangered in 2008. Efforts to save the cheetahs have been fraught with difficulty, due in part to geopolitical tensions, particularly over the last decade. The Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation case, in which nine cheetah conservationists were accused of espionage and imprisoned in 2018, brought international scientific collaboration to a grinding halt. Western sanctions on Iran have also taken a toll. “Critical activities such as monitoring, law enforcement and the development of wildlife-friendly infrastructure have declined,” the authors of a 2025 study in the journal People and Nature wrote. “These limitations have contributed to a decrease in prey availability and an increase in direct cheetah mortality, particularly from road accidents.” In June 2025, the 12-day war with Israel and the U.S. led the Iranian government to impose tighter restrictions on key cheetah conservation activities, including fieldwork and data collection. But there had been cautious optimism about resumed collaboration with international partners, which would contribute invaluable resources and expertise. In August last year, an official told state media that cheetah conservation was “among the top priorities” of the Department of Environment. “The [possible] extinction of the world’s rarest cat has become a symbol of our challenges and responsibilities towards Iran’s nature,” said department head Shina Ansari. New war, new threats Iran’s remaining cheetahs are scattered across fragmented, rugged habitats, including the vast, arid Dasht-e Kavir (Kavir Desert) which spans central Iran’s Yazd, Semnan, Kerman and Isfahan provinces. It encompasses designated protected areas, wildlife refuges and national parks. Military sites in some of these provinces have been the target of U.S. and Israeli strikes. This has raised fears among conservationists who worry that their vehicles could be misidentified or even targeted, “particularly in remote desert landscapes where cheetahs live,” a local conservationist told Mongabay, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons. Sarah Durant, a cheetah expert and research scientist at the Zoological Society of London, emphasized the critical role that field scientists, park rangers and Indigenous peoples play in safeguarding biodiversity. It makes their protection during armed conflict “a matter of urgent international concern,” she said. Their work places them in considerable danger, she said, but “unlike humanitarian workers, there is currently no international formal recognition of the status of conservation actors.” She added that “such recognition could help shield [them] from attack to enable them to continue their vital — and globally important — work of biodiversity protection.” Since the outbreak of war, access to protected areas and key cheetah habitats for nongovernmental conservationists has been severely restricted and efforts have “slowed down considerably,” with interruptions to long-term monitoring, camera trapping and field surveys, according to Mongabay’s anonymous source. “For the Asiatic cheetah, this situation is particularly critical,” they said. “With such a small remaining population, any disruption in protection and monitoring can have serious consequences. Reduced presence [of conservationists] on the ground and lower prioritization increases the risks of poaching, road mortality and habitat disturbance.” Most environmental NGOs in Iran have paused their work. Communication is difficult or impossible, with the country in the grip of an ongoing internet shutdown. “The current situation has intensified existing challenges,” the anonymous source said. “Conservation in Iran has already been under significant pressure due to security concerns, limited funding, and weak institutional support. Now, these constraints are even more severe.” Remote habitats are experiencing what bird conservationist and environmental educator Iman Ebrahimi, who’s based in Isfahan, called “unique consequences of war.” “In those areas,” he said, “you sometimes see an unusual situation. Neither rangers nor poachers are active. In the short term, this can benefit wildlife and increase security, but it raises serious concerns about long-term sustainability once conditions change.” He noted that online monitoring systems have been disrupted, leading to a greater dependence on physical patrolling, which now comes with new risks. Community-based conservation is also affected, as local communities face economic and security concerns. Crises “tend to reduce participation in governance,” the unnamed conservationist said. “Nongovernmental involvement declines sharply, and conservation becomes more centralized and state-controlled. In Iran, this shift is particularly concerning, as effective conservation has always depended on collaboration and trust between different actors,” they said. “The shrinking space for nongovernmental engagement is one of the most serious risks to conservation outcomes.” So far, the impact of war on conservation writ large, Ebrahimi said, is “quite uneven. It is not simply negative or positive, but very context dependent.” “What is really interesting is that areas where conservation has been more socially embedded, where protection is supported by local people and relationships rather than only formal enforcement, seem to be holding up better under these conditions,” he added. Conservation tech Unlike their plains-dwelling African counterparts, the Asiatic cheetahs prefer to live in hilly terrain, and they’re notoriously difficult to monitor, with large ranges and low population density. Therefore, conservationists rely heavily on motion-triggered camera traps to track and identify individual cats. Import restrictions have limited or prevented the acquisition of high-quality conservation tech, and the use of satellite or SIM-enabled devices is currently not permitted. The use of camera traps sparked controversy in 2018, when conservationists from the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation were arrested and accused of espionage. However, the use of camera traps for cheetah monitoring has since resumed. Meanwhile, GPS collars that track animal movements are among the most important gear in the conservation toolbox for wide-ranging or elusive species. Biologists fitted cheetahs with GPS collars in 2007, and also used them to study Persian leopards (Panthera pardus saxicolor) in 2014. Research released last year noted that while camera traps offer valuable data about the presence of cheetahs, they “fall short in revealing fine-scale movement patterns.” The authors recommended using GPS collars. “Satellite telemetry is crucial to fill this gap, especially with fewer than 30 individuals remaining,” the report said. “GPS collars can provide essential insights into habitat use, movements and survival, enabling more effective conservation strategies. Roads to extinction Despite the imminent risk of extinction, cheetah conservationists mark “rare moments of encouragement.” The female cheetah filmed in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge in February is well-known to conservationists, who call her Helia. She was sighted back in August 2022 in Turan Biosphere Reserve with four cubs, but the following month, a camera trap showed her with just two. In 2024, Helia was seen again with another two cubs in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge. It was the first confirmed sighting of a cheetah in the area in six years, and she’d traveled more than 130 kilometers (80 miles) to get there from the Turan reserve. However, one of the two cubs was hit by a vehicle on the so-called “Death Road,” the Meyami–Sabzevar route that cuts through Semnan province in the northern part of the country. For seven nights after the death of her cub, Helia stayed near the road, and volunteers stood by to block traffic in case she and her remaining baby attempted to cross again. Prior to that incident, officials had been celebrating zero cheetah road deaths for the year. More than half of all recorded cheetah deaths in Iran are caused by road accidents. With so few Asiatic cheetahs remaining, each death delivers a blow to the subspecies’ prospects for survival. This was highlighted by one particularly devastating case in 2023, when a female cheetah was hit and killed on a road outside the city of Meyami in Semnan province, east of Tehran. An autopsy revealed she was pregnant with three cubs. Efforts to reduce wildlife mortality have included putting up fences, installing cameras, enforcing speed limits, and creating culverts that run under the roads; studies show that cheetahs use these underpasses. Future in the balance The few wild cheetahs left in Iran are “ID-carded” with a three-digit number that documents the sex and provides samples of spot patterns from the shoulder, flank and rump. As with a human fingerprint, each cheetah’s spots are unique to the individual. Besides preventing deaths from vehicles, human-wildlife conflict and poaching, there’s been significant debate over how best to secure the subspecies’ future. Asiatic cheetahs are beset by low genetic diversity and inbreeding, which threatens immunity and long-term survival for any species. Iran’s experiments with captive breeding have met with no real success. Meanwhile, fewer than half of cubs survive beyond their first year, according to a decade of monitoring data included in a study released last year. Some experts advocate for the introduction of African cheetahs to expand the gene pool. Conservationists say in-situ solutions are what’s required, and preferably, a holistic approach rather than a single-species focus. “Prey species such as gazelles and wild ungulates are also under increased pressure,” the unnamed conservationist said. “Hunting may rise due to economic hardship, and reduced enforcement in protected areas makes the situation worse. This directly impacts the cheetah, as prey availability is essential for its survival.” There are other serious concerns. Iran’s arid center faces severe threat from climate change and the region has suffered through several consecutive years of drought — something that has a devastating impact on ecosystems and the species that depend on them. The anonymous conservationist said it’s important to understand that conservation in Iran is “not limited by lack of knowledge or commitment. The main constraints are structural and contextual.” Despite the many risks and challenges, they said, “many conservationists continue their work under extremely difficult conditions.” Conservation efforts may not resume when the bombs stop falling. “Post-conflict recovery efforts very rarely consider the environment, much less wildlife … especially when there is a humanitarian crisis going on,” Peter Zahler, director of field conservation for Zoo New England, told Mongabay by email. “It is absolutely critical that conservation efforts try to continue despite — and because of — conflict.” The damage inflicted so far in this war will likely mean a reduction in resources dedicated to conservation, said Jamshid Parchizadeh. He’s a research scientist at Michigan State University who has worked as a wildlife biologist in Iran on projects involving leopards, cheetahs, bears, wolves, hyenas and deer. “When this war is over — if it is ever over — the government of Iran [will have] to spend all the money it has on rebuilding the country, including infrastructure that has been damaged or obliterated during the war,” Parchizadeh said. “People’s homes have been damaged or destroyed, and it is obvious that they will need somewhere to live. Who should help these homeless people? This requires a lot of money. These will become the priorities for the government.” “Before the war, cheetah conservation received limited funding from the government,” Parchizadeh said. “But after the war, I doubt that the government has any money left for the conservation of the cheetah.” This article originally appeared in Mongabay. Citations: Taktehrani, A., Shah Hosseini, M., Gholikhani, N., Hobeali, K., Karimi, M. H., Samadzadeh, N., … Farhadinia, M. S. (2025). Will they survive? Alarming circumstances of Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) in Iran’s drylands. bioRxiv. doi:10.1101/2025.10.27.684750 Farhadinia, M. S., Hunter, L. T., Jourabchian, A., Hosseini-Zavarei, F., Akbari, H., Ziaie, H., … Jowkar, H. (2017). The critically endangered asiatic cheetah Acinonyx jubatus venaticus in Iran: A review of recent distribution, and conservation status. Biodiversity and Conservation, 26(5), 1027-1046. doi:10.1007/s10531-017-1298-8 Murali, R., Adabaeva, A., Angulo, S., Arispe, R., Baumann, M., Ghoddousi, A., … Kümmerle, T. (2025). Understanding multiple pathways of the impacts of socio‐economic shocks on large carnivores. People and Nature, 7(11), 3104-3125. doi:10.1002/pan3.70162 Safiyan-Boldaji, P., Poirazidis, K., Hemami, M., Moser, D., Plutzar, C., Dullinger, S., & Schindler, S. (2024). Safeguarding the last stronghold: Ecology and conservation of Asiatic Cheetah’s prey species in Turan Biosphere Reserve (Iran). Global Ecology and Conservation, 51, e02937. doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e02937 Molania, H., Fadakar, D., Akbari, H., & Rezaei, H. R. (2026). Desert-edge contact zone between goitered gazelle subspecies in northeastern Iran. Journal of Arid Environments, 233, 105531. doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2025.105531 Ashrafzadeh, M. R., Khosravi, R., Adibi, M. A., Taktehrani, A., Wan, H. Y., & Cushman, S. A. (2020). A multi-scale, multi-species approach for assessing effectiveness of habitat and connectivity conservation for endangered felids. Biological Conservation, 245, 108523. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108523 Khalatbari, L., Godinho, R., Abolghasemi, H., Hakimi, E., Ghadirian, T., Jowkar, H., … Brito, J. C. (2023). The persistence of the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah relies upon urgent connectivity protection: A landscape genetics perspective. Conservation Genetics, 24(4), 461-472. doi:10.1007/s10592-023-01513-6

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  • Kayleigh LongBy Kayleigh Long

    Before the war began in February 2026, there was some rare good news for Iran’s imperiled Asiatic cheetahs. Rangers spotted and filmed a female in the North Khorasan province accompanied by five cubs — a first. No more than four had ever been seen before, and every individual cou…

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Something Changed in a Single Day: Trump Claimed Backchannel Talks With the IRGC, Then Said No Talks Were Happening at All

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President Donald Trump has made another bombastic pronouncement amid the war with Iran. On Tuesday, he shared a map labeling the Strait of Hormuz “NEW U.S. Territory,” via his Truth Social platform. Iran has continued to stress that the strait will not be fully reopened until Washington meets its slew of demands, including ending its blockade on Iranian shipping and scrapping oil sanctions.

Ship Hit in Strait Just hours before Trump’s latest post, a vessel exiting the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unidentified projectile off the coast of Oman. According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, the ship’s engine room was hit, resulting in a “crew casualty.

” Officials did not immediately identify the vessel or its cargo. The Omani Coast Guard said it was assisting the remaining crew as authorities investigated the incident. Iran’s Stranglehold on the Strait Since the United States and Israel launched attacks on the Islamic Republic on February 28, Iran has tightly restricted shipping through the waterway.

Prior to the war, around one-fifth of globally traded oil passed through Hormuz. Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Tuesday that Tehran would maintain its restrictions until Washington fulfilled what Iran considers its commitments under the interim U.

S.-Iran agreement struck in June. Those demands include lifting the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, releasing frozen Iranian assets, removing sanctions on Iranian oil and gas exports, and ending U.S. military threats and operations. “Until the United States fulfills its commitments under the agreement … the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen,” Qalibaf said.

Blockade Vs. Territory Asked in the Oval Office on Monday about his earlier suggestion that Hormuz could become American territory, the president said he liked the idea. “We control it with the blockade, and I like the idea of declaring it a territory,” Trump told reporters, adding: “We have total control over the strait now.

” Washington’s blockade is hitting Iranian shipping hard. U.S. Central Command said Monday that American forces had redirected 64 commercial vessels, disabled three ships, and boarded another two as part of the renewed blockade. That does not mean Washington has eliminated Iran’s ability to disrupt other shipping.

Tuesday’s unexplained attack came after a string of strikes on vessels attempting to navigate the area. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi also rejected Trump’s territorial claim on Tuesday, describing it as a “delusion.” Tehran has repeatedly maintained that it, rather than Washington, will determine when normal passage through the strait resumes.

Iran and Oman Near Deal Complicating matters further are separate negotiations between Iran and Oman, the two countries sitting on opposite sides of the strait. Iran said Monday that the two governments were finalizing details of an agreement concerning shipping routes through Hormuz.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said an “understanding has been reached regarding the map of the transit route.” Trump responded by threatening Oman, a longstanding U.S. partner, telling Fox News that Washington would “bomb the shit out of them” if Muscat “gets in the way.

” The diplomatic clock has already run down. The 60-day negotiating period established by the June memorandum between Washington and Tehran expired on Monday without a broader agreement being reached. Trump has said the United States is not seeking an extension.

Tehran Likely to Double Down Columnist Melanie Phillips slammed President Trump’s plans for a ceasefire last month, complaining that it had given Tehran the upper hand and showed that “everyone can now see America is not prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to defend itself.

” Trump has claimed Iran has essentially lost this war and that the blockade is massively damaging its economy. However, he has also instructed his team to pursue a “low-key” approach to talks. On July 7, Trump said the agreement was “over”, while Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it was “suspended” the following week.

“They should put up the white flag of surrender,” Trump told Fox News on Monday, claiming that backchannel talks with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were ongoing. The IRGC has denied these claims. On Tuesday, Trump dramatically changed his tune, stating that no talks with Iran were ongoing, and that no discussions were scheduled.

About the Author: Georgia Gilholy Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.

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Iran War Day 172: ‘No Talks’ Scheduled with Tehran, Trump Says

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Iran War Day 172: ‘No Talks’ Scheduled with Tehran, Trump Says In a post on Truth Social Tuesday President Donald Trump said that “there are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Trump added that the U.

S. naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz “remains in full force and effect” and that the waterway “is open and operating.” In a separate post, Trump published an image labelling the strait as “NEW U.S. Territory.” Only six commodity ships transited the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, according to Kpler data cited by Reuters.

Iran’s Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tuesday, Until the commitments made by the United States in the memorandum of understanding, including the lifting of the blockade, the release of frozen assets, the lifting of oil sanctions, the end of threats and military operations on all fronts, and other conditions to which America agreed in the memorandum, are implemented, the strait will not be opened.

The deadline for that memorandum of understanding—signed by Trump and Iran’s president in June—expired on Monday. The two nations had agreed to negotiate a final peace deal over a 60-day period, but the framework agreement quickly fell apart, and the deadline seemingly wasn’t extended, despite mixed reporting.

Subscribe Today Get daily emails in your inbox Ghalibaf will lead a “high-level parliamentary delegation” to Iraq on Wednesday, Iran’s Fars news agency reported. The visit comes as pro-Iran militia groups face a September 30 deadline set by the Iraqi government to disarm.

Syria condemned reported Israeli strikes against Abu Duhur airbase on Tuesday, while the U.S. expressed concern over the incident. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack wrote on X that “we are deeply concerned that the confirmed Israeli airstrikes on Abu al-Duhur Airbase constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability.

” The price of Brent Crude oil was over $91 per barrel on Tuesday morning. AAA recorded the national average price of regular gas at $4.07.

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Trump says no talks planned with Iran, Tehran says Strait of Hormuz still shut

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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday no talks were taking place with Iran and none were scheduled, and he insisted that the Strait of Hormuz was open, contradicting an earlier Iranian assertion that the critical waterway remained shut to shipping.

The receding prospects of a deal to end the nearly six-month conflict drove up oil prices again on Tuesday, while stock markets sagged and borrowing costs for major economies including the U.S. hit multi-decade highs, amid concerns about the long-term inflationary and fiscal impact of the crisis.

A temporary ceasefire agreement expired on Monday and a senior Iranian official told Reuters that his country was moving to a “fully offensive” military posture due to the diplomatic stalemate, though there were no reports of fresh strikes by either side on Tuesday.

“There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday. “The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated,” he added.

On Monday, Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and special envoy, had sounded an optimistic note, saying talks with Iran were still under way and were “probably more robust” than they had ever been. Despite Trump's typically ebullient remarks about the situation in the Gulf, preliminary shipping data on Tuesday showed ship crossings via the Strait of Hormuz were still in single digits on Monday.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said it received a report on Tuesday that a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting outbound in the Strait of Hormuz, causing engine room damage and a crew casualty. The remaining crew were being assisted by the Omani Coast Guard, according to the report.

Top Iranian negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said in comments published by state media that the strait would remain shut until the U.S. met the conditions of an interim deal signed with Iran in June. These conditions include the U.S. lifting its blockade of Iranian ports, lifting oil sanctions, releasing Tehran's frozen assets, and ending threats and military operations on all fronts, Qalibaf told parliament.

A memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 had set a 60-day time frame for a broader deal on Iran's nuclear programme and U.S. sanctions. That period elapsed on Monday and Trump said he had no plans to extend it. The agreement, which declared the “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts,” had quickly unravelled over a dispute about control of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flowed before the war.

Both Trump and Tehran have frequently switched between threats and more emollient rhetoric as they seek a way out of the crisis, which erupted when the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28. Iran remains open to dialogue with the U.

S. but does not confuse negotiations with surrender, Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, said on Tuesday, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. Mokhber said military pressure and sanctions would not break Iran's resolve and that the country would defend its security, dignity and allies while not seeking war.

Even as Iran projects resilience in the war, its leaders are worried that a threat of more economic punishment could increase hardships, reignite unrest and further erode the Islamic Republic’s legitimacy, according to three Iranian officials. Thousands of people have been killed in the conflict, mainly in Iran and Lebanon.

Iran has bombed U.S. military bases and infrastructure in countries including Oman, Jordan, Kuwait, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Benchmark Brent crude oil futures have surged during the conflict, hitting a peak of $126 a barrel, roughly 75% above pre-war levels.

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Iran’s gutted ranks leave loyalists filling critical posts — with one glaring problem

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Iran is rebuilding the upper ranks of its military and security establishment after months of wartime losses by turning largely to familiar veterans — figures whose careers in some cases stretch back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Iran-Iraq War and previous domestic crackdowns.

The appointments follow the deaths of several senior Iranian commanders in U.S.-Israeli strikes since the war began Feb. 28, The National reported Aug. 11. For Washington, the stakes go beyond who fills the vacancies. The reshuffle puts veteran hardliners atop institutions that shape Iran’s military operations, national-security policy and internal security at a time of renewed confrontation with the United States.

The appointments do not prove that Tehran has run out of younger commanders or that loyalty was the sole criterion, but the reliance on figures whose careers stretch back decades is raising a broader question for U.S. policymakers: whether wartime losses have left Iran increasingly dependent on a smaller circle of trusted ideologues — potentially narrowing the room for compromise even as Washington tries to pressure Tehran back toward a deal.

IRAN’S REVOLUTIONARY GUARD SIDELINES PRESIDENT AS MILITARY GRIP EXPANDS Former American prisoner Morad Tahbaz, who was detained in Iran in 2018 and freed in a U.S.-Iran prisoner exchange in September 2023, told Fox News Digital that he views the latest appointments as evidence of Tehran's continued dependence on longtime loyalists.

"They keep rotating the same old people, most of whom are fairly inept but are loyal to the Khamenei father and son," Tahbaz told Fox News Digital. The reshuffle spans Iran's conventional military, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, its naval arm, the Basij paramilitary force and the country's highest national-security council.

Iran's state-run IRNA reported Aug. 10 that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei appointed Ali Abdollahi chief of staff of the Armed Forces, Kioumars Heydari his deputy, Ahmad Vahidi commander of the IRGC, Mostafa Izadi deputy IRGC commander, Ali Ozmaei commander of the IRGC Navy and Hossein Taeb head of the Basij.

The previous day, former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaei, 71, was named secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and Khamenei's representative on the powerful body. Reuters reported Aug. 10 that the SNSC coordinates Iran's security and foreign policy and that Rezaei replaced Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, who had been appointed secretary in late March following the death of his predecessor, Ali Larijani.

The appointments do not establish that Iran has run out of younger or less familiar commanders. But the reliance on longtime military and security figures has fueled assessments that wartime losses have narrowed the regime's pool of officials it regards as sufficiently experienced and politically trustworthy.

Erfan Fard wrote for the Middle East Forum on Aug. 15 that Khamenei was not promoting a new generation but turning to veterans of the revolution, the Iran-Iraq War, intelligence operations and domestic repression, arguing that an architecture based on "institutional memory, loyalty, and coercive power" was taking shape.

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies argued in an Aug. 12 policy brief that the reshuffle looked "less like renewal than a game of musical chairs among regime veterans." The appointments also formalized the position of Ahmad Vahidi, a veteran hardliner who had already emerged near the center of wartime decision-making.

Vahidi was a major player in shaping Tehran's wartime policy and had risen through the IRGC's early intelligence and external-operations apparatus before later serving as defense and interior minister. As interior minister, Vahidi oversaw police units involved in the crackdown on the 2022 protests.

IRNA confirmed Aug. 10 that Khamenei promoted Vahidi to major general and formally appointed him commander-in-chief of the IRGC. WHO IS AHMAD VAHIDI? IRAN’S NEW IRGC CHIEF TIED TO GLOBAL ATTACKS AND ‘DEATH TO AMERICA’ IDEOLOGY Hossein Taeb: The intelligence veteran returns to the Basij to build a ‘20-million-strong Basij force.

’ One of the most closely watched appointments is Hossein Taeb, the cleric and veteran security official tapped to lead the Basij, the IRGC's volunteer paramilitary force that has repeatedly been used against domestic dissent. The National reported that the Basij has been used to suppress internal dissent, while The Times reported Aug.

12 that the force is embedded in neighborhoods, universities, workplaces, factories, ministries and mosques and has played a central role in suppressing successive uprisings. For Tahbaz, Taeb's return is personal. Tahbaz was detained in 2018, while Taeb was leading the IRGC Intelligence Organization.

"Ta’eb is extremely close to Mojtaba Khamenei but was very unceremoniously fired from his former position as head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization," Tahbaz told Fox News Digital. "He was personally responsible for my and my colleagues' arrests and detentions.

He lives and breathes conspiracy theories." The Times reported Aug. 12 that Taeb and Mojtaba Khamenei's relationship dates back more than four decades and that both served in the Habib Battalion during the Iran-Iraq War. The newspaper also reported that IRGC intelligence arrested environmentalists and dual nationals during Taeb's tenure.

Taeb previously commanded the Basij before moving into IRGC intelligence. The Times reported that months after the disputed 2009 election, the Guards' intelligence division was elevated into an independent organization with Taeb as its first chief. Taeb's earlier leadership of the Basij also drew U.

S. sanctions. In a Sept. 29, 2010 Treasury Department fact sheet, the U.S. government said that while Taeb commanded the Basij during the June 2009 election, forces under his command participated in "beatings, murder, and arbitrary arrests and detentions of peaceful protestors.

" According to IRNA, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf congratulated Taeb on his appointment as head of the Basij Organization, saying his tenure could mark a new chapter for the volunteer force. Ghalibaf said the Basij now needs a more comprehensive and forward-looking approach and argued that Taeb’s appointment by the supreme leader could help advance what he described as one of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s longstanding goals: building a 20-million-strong Basij force.

UN WATCHDOG SLAMS POTENTIAL ELECTION OF IRAN TO PANEL WITH HUMAN RIGHTS SWAY: 'LUNATICS RUNNING THE ASYLUM' Mohsen Rezaei: Back at the center after four decades Few appointments better illustrate the return of Iran's old guard than Mohsen Rezaei, who was named secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

Reuters reported Aug. 10 that Rezaei joined the IRGC shortly after the 1979 revolution, became its commander in 1981 at age 27 and led the force for 16 years, including through most of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War. He later served as secretary of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council for more than two decades and as vice president for economic affairs from 2021 to 2023 under President Ebrahim Raisi.

Now, at 71, he is secretary of the SNSC and Khamenei's representative on the body. Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, argued that bringing back longtime figures such as Rezaei reflects weakness rather than renewal.

"This is, again, another evidence that they don't have anyone else," Sabti told Fox News Digital. "So they have to bring him out again from the desk and put him somewhere. These are the guys that they have." Rezaei and Vahidi were also among six people for whom INTERPOL authorized Red Notices requested by Argentina in 2007 in connection with the investigation into the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.

INTERPOL said in November 2007 that its General Assembly upheld the publication of notices for six individuals, including Ahmad Vahidi and Mohsen Rezaei, after Iran challenged Argentina's requests. Sabti argued that Rezaei's re-emergence is particularly telling because Tehran's decision-making circle has become less ideologically diverse.

"Today, there is only one opinion, and this is the main problem," Sabti said. "This is why you think that there is unity and the system is stronger. No, it's not stronger. Actually, it's weaker also because of that." TRADE VESSEL STRUCK BY PROJECTILE IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ AMID US-IRAN TALKS Ali Abdollahi: A wartime commander takes the top military job Ali Abdollahi was elevated to chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces, putting him at the top of the country's military command structure.

IRNA confirmed the appointment Aug. 10. Abdollahi had previously commanded the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran's joint operational command responsible for coordinating its armed forces in wartime, according to Iran International on Aug. 10.

His appointment also comes amid an effort to integrate the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters more closely with the Armed Forces General Staff. Le Monde reported Aug. 11 that Abdollahi's task includes completing that integration in an effort to further centralize command and coordination.

Fard argued in his Aug. 15 Middle East Forum analysis that Abdollahi's elevation exemplifies Tehran's reliance on longstanding revolutionary-security figures rather than a generational break. FREED AMERICAN REVEALS BRUTAL IRAN PRISON ORDEAL, WARNS HOSTAGES FACE GREATER DANGER Kioumars Heydari: The regular army moves closer to the center Former Army Ground Forces commander Kioumars Heydari was appointed deputy chief of staff of the Armed Forces, bringing a senior officer from Iran's conventional military into the new command structure.

The National reported that Heydari formerly commanded the Army Ground Forces and has held senior positions in Iran's regular army, known as the Artesh. IRNA independently confirmed his appointment. His inclusion also demonstrates that the reshuffle is not limited to the IRGC.

Fard argued in the Middle East Forum that Heydari's previous public rhetoric surrounding protest suppression indicates that Tehran has increasingly integrated the regular army into its domestic-security posture. Mostafa Izadi: Another veteran rises inside the IRGC Mostafa Izadi was appointed Vahidi's deputy, putting another longtime commander near the top of the IRGC hierarchy.

IRNA confirmed Izadi's appointment Aug. 10, while The National described him Aug. 11 as a veteran commander who has held a number of senior positions in Iran's military and security establishment. Iran International reported that Izadi previously commanded the Cyber and New Threats Headquarters within the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.

IRAN HARDLINER BEHIND US DEAL WARNS TEHRAN WON’T HONOR AGREEMENT IF TRUMP FAILS TO DELIVER Ali Ozmaei: A new commander at one of Iran's most sensitive fronts Rear Adm. Ali Ozmaei was appointed commander of the IRGC Navy, putting him in charge of a force central to Iran's military posture in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.

The National reported Aug. 11 that Ozmaei replaced Alireza Tangsiri, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in March, and that the IRGC Navy is responsible for Iran's military operations in the Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media also highlighted Ozmaei's longstanding maritime experience.

IRNA reported Aug. 11 that Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf praised Ozmaei's years in maritime defense and his familiarity with the current conflict and the Strait of Hormuz. The appointment came one day before Rezaei said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed unless the United States changed its behavior and accepted Iran's conditions.

Reuters reported that Rezaei said Washington would have to end the war and unfreeze Iranian funds overseas, with other conditions relayed through mediators. Taken together, the seven personnel changes show Tehran moving to fill and reshuffle critical military and security posts after significant wartime losses.

What remains an assessment rather than an established fact is whether the identities of those chosen reveal a deeper shortage of trusted successors. Sabti said the return of veteran figures reflected what he sees as a shrinking bench of trusted officials and a less diverse decision-making circle.

Tahbaz offered a less academic version of that assessment. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP "They keep rotating the same old people," he said.

Location: Tehran
Efrat Lachter