12th March 2026
A bomb damaged hospital in Tehran following US/Israeli strikes
The Committee for the Defence of Iranian People’s Rights (CODIR) has warned that the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s Supreme Leader sends out a signal that hardliners in the theocratic dictatorship retain the upper hand in the internal struggle within the regime.
Khamenei is believed to have been very seriously injured in the attack on 28 February, which killed his father, Ali Khamenei, as well as his wife and other family members. He is believed to have been reluctant to take up the role of Supreme Leader, but is clearly the hardliner’s choice and will represent the interests of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) going forward.
Despite being the son of Ali Khamenei, very little is known about Mojtaba as he has stayed largely out of the public eye. However, he is known to have strong links to the IRGC, the Basij paramilitary force, and the regime’s repressive security apparatus. He certainly represents the ‘diehard’ tendency within Iran and has the support of arch-conservatives within the regime.
Khamenei’s selection comes at a time when the thrust of the US-Israeli strikes indicate an intention to completely degrade the Iranian state, both in civil as well as military terms.
While the US and Israel are keen to emphasise the accuracy and precision of missile attacks the reality is that recent days have seen atrocious attacks on oil refineries around Tehran; water desalination plants; electrical supply hubs and power plants (meaning large parts of Tehran were left in pitch blackness); clinics/hospitals; schools; community centres; sports complexes; public parks and squares; as well as UNESCO-listed world heritage sites.
“It has been clear since the first bomb dropped that the illegal US/Israeli war on Iran is not just about eliminating nuclear capacity or missile capability,” said CODIR General Secretary, Gawain Little, “these attacks are degrading key elements of the civilian infrastructure in Iran. The US is using the Iranian people’s legitimate struggle against the regime as cover for external regime change, which would be a calamity for the Iranian people. They alone have the right to determine the future of Iran.”
In spite of the increasing toll upon the civilian population, with over 1.200 estimated dead so far, the regime in Iran has made clear that it is not interested in a ceasefire or return to negotiations for the time being. The regime appears to be motivated to respond by exacting as high a toll on the US and Western countries as possible, in order to ensure that the cost of attacking Iran is seen to be prohibitively high, economically and politically.
There are also reports that the IRGC’s command structure has been decentralised, giving operational autonomy to commanders further down the chain and throughout Iran’s provinces. The security forces appear to be entrenching their positions throughout the country in anticipation of carrying on the fight regardless of what form it takes. It is reported this is pursuant to one of Ali Khamenei’s last directives before he was killed.
That the regime’s security forces and paramilitaries are still in control and exert a fearsome presence on the streets of Iran is reflected in the comments of Iran’s police chief, Ahmadreza Radan, who has warned that protesters will be treated as “the enemy”.
Speaking on Iranian state TV Radan stated,
“If someone comes at the enemies bidding, we do not regard them as a protestor or anything of the sort; we treat them as we would treat the enemy, and we deal with them the same way we deal with the enemy.”
CODIR Assistant General Secretary, Jamshid Ahmadi, underlined the solidarity organisation’s long-held position of opposition to the theocratic dictatorship and external intervention.
“CODIR continues to be firmly against the theocratic dictatorship and its repressive measures against the Iranian people. We will also continue to oppose outside intervention by the US, Israel, or any proxy forces acting on their behalf.
“The future of Iran must be for the Iranian people themselves to decide. The war is already a catastrophe for the people of Iran and the region. We must do all in our power to stop it from getting worse,” stated Mr. Ahmadi.
Progressive forces inside the country are continuing to call for the end of the dictatorship at the same time as remaining unequivocal in their opposition to external intervention.
CODIR will continue to provide support and solidarity with those progressive forces on the basis of the Iranian people’s longstanding demand for peace, democracy, and social justice.
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