Iran is reorganizing its military to be more agile and aggressive abroad as it prepares for a protracted era of regional conflict and confrontation with the US and Israel. With talks to end the war mired in stalemate, Tehran is hardening its approach toward any permanent deal with the US.
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has remained largely out of the public eye since taking power in early March. His absence from public life has left a vacuum in which bitter infighting and disputes between political factions have seeped into the open.
Despite these internal feuds, Iran's leaders are uniting behind a harder war strategy. Mojtaba Khamenei has recently made a series of appointments to strengthen his authority at the top of the state apparatus. Hardline Iranian Guard commanders are now at the helm and are not in the mood for talks.
The current state of the conflict remains disputed, with an Iranian source indicating that both sides disagree on whether a ceasefire actually took place.