IRGC

“We launched a plan we call ‘For Iran’, which is a registration program for homeland defense fighters,” Nadali told state media. “We set the minimum age at 12 years and above.” 

Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, was expelled in mid-March for meddling in Lebanon’s internal affairs.

Iranian media have reported more than 1,000 arrests over the course of the month, related to individuals accused of sharing anti-government content online, or "cooperating with the enemy."

IRGC recruits 12-year-olds to fill personnel gaps • Four IDF soldiers killed in southern Lebanon • Hegseth refuses to give timeline to end war

Ahmad Vahidi, a known quantity for Israel and the West, became the face of a regime that prefers total confrontation over any semblance of pragmatism.

While skeptics dismiss the declarations of Iran’s leaders as mere demagoguery for domestic consumption, history teaches that ideological adversaries mean exactly what they say.

Defense sources: Hezbollah and Iran weighed preemptive strikes on Israel • IDF: Hezbollah uses ambulances, paramedic uniforms, as disguises • IDF looking into UNIFIL deaths in Lebanon

According to Rudaw media, the IRGC threatened that all Israeli and US-tied universities in the region have been deemed "legitimate targets" in the ongoing war.

"The ambassador will not leave Lebanon, in accordance with the wishes of the speaker of parliament Nabih Berri and of Hezbollah," AFP reported, citing an anonymous source.

The message did not include any evidence that Khamenei, who has not been publicly seen since the war began last month, is alive.