Iran's Leadership and Policies Shift Two Months After US and Israeli Strikes

The war remains ongoing, with no clear resolution in sight. US President Donald Trump has stated multiple times that regime change has occurred in Iran due to the deaths of several officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. However, Iran's main institutions continue to function.

Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late leader, was elected by a clerical body as the new Supreme Leader.

Military, security, political, and judicial authorities have renewed their pledges of allegiance to the office of the Supreme Leader and the theocratic establishment. The new Supreme Leader has issued several written statements but has not appeared publicly.

State media reported this week that most factions issued statements proclaiming unity and continuity in response to Trump's comments on fractures within the system. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continues to lead military operations, manage economic resources including natural resources, and maintain control through paramilitary forces such as the Basij.

The new secretary of the Supreme National Security Council is among the IRGC old guard believed to be aligned with the other generals. The secretary has replaced Ali Larijani, who was killed in a missile attack in March. The judiciary continues to announce executions and arrests of dissidents daily, and the parliament remains dominated by hardliners.

State television and other media outlets, controlled or influenced by the IRGC or groups like the Front of Islamic Revolution Stability, broadcast official messages, including through artificial intelligence-generated videos. Reformist and moderate politicians who supported him, including former Presidents Hassan Rouhani and Mohammad Khatami, and former chief diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif, face criticism from hardliners.

Iranian authorities continue to support armed groups in the region, including in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. Paramilitary fighters from groups such as Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces have been brought into Iran to assist with internal control, appearing in streets of Tehran and other cities since March 2026.

The IRGC and the army are prepared to launch missiles and drones at regional countries and US forces if further strikes target critical infrastructure, according to Iranian statements. The government reported $270 billion in damages from the strikes.

Iranian authorities have not agreed to concessions demanded by the US, viewing them as capitulation. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf led Iran's team in mediated negotiations with the US in Islamabad, Pakistan, earlier in April 2026. Ghalibaf has indicated a desire to translate battlefield outcomes into an agreement but stated there will be no surrender.

Iran's latest proposal to the US postpones discussions on its nuclear program. Tehran states it will not seek nuclear weapons but refuses to ship out enriched material or stop enrichment. The primary focus is reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the US blockade of Iranian ports.

Iran proposes managing the Strait of Hormuz jointly with Oman, including charging vessels for passage to recover damages. The parliament has drafted legislation for this system, which contrasts with positions from the US, Europe, and others that the strait should reopen without conditions.

The economy faces high inflation, and rebuilding bombed facilities such as steel production lines and petrochemical plants will require years and significant investment under ongoing US and UN sanctions. Millions of jobs have been affected by a state-imposed internet shutdown lasting 60 days as of April 28, 2026, for security reasons.

The government stated the internet restrictions will ease only when the war ends and is expanding a tiered access system. Economic priorities have shifted to procuring food and medicine, with the reinstatement of cheap currency allocation for essential imports this week.

A funeral procession was held in Tehran on April 1, 2026, for Alireza Tangsiri, head of the IRGC Navy, and others killed in Israeli attacks in late March.