IRGC

Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has three levels: the political, the military, and the economic. The political part is the strongest, and the economic part is the weakest.

The Gulf monarchies built modern states on a promise of order, growth, and security. Iran has attacked all three. They now face a test of seriousness.

The top tier of Iran's remaining air defenses consists of mobile anti-aircraft missiles, often grouped together in a dozen or more on a vehicle, around 92% of which have been destroyed.

The blackout rendered it impossible to make phone calls or text locally or internationally, suppressing all attempts at communication.

The strike comes a day after sources told The Jerusalem Post that the IDF struck Iranian military targets in the Caspian Sea for the first time since the start of Operation Roaring Lion. 

Israel has taken the lead in assassinating top Iranian officials, with the US playing a minimal role, signaling a major shift in strategy amid escalating tensions.

In the wake of the devastation on the political and military echelons of the Islamic Republic, who are some of the most significant figures remaining in Iran?

Later, after Iran threatened Gulf states with retaliatory strikes, Qatar and Saudi Arabia reportedly intercepted multiple incoming missile barrages targeting oil and industrial sites.

The regime has been playing a bit of chess in the region, seeking to move the frontline of the war to Iraq and the Strait of Hormuz.

Khatib was not your average minister. Appointed by Khamenei in 2021, he was a Shia cleric with deep roots in the security world and a history inside the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).