Amid growing internal distrust and post-war instability, Tehran forms a new “Defense Council” to reinforce regime survival—not national defense—through structural reshuffles and expanded repression.
Following a series of devastating blows to its intelligence and military infrastructure during the recent 12-day war with Israel, the Iranian regime is scrambling to restructure its top security apparatus. In a move widely seen as an attempt to tighten control and protect itself from internal collapse, the Revolutionary Guard-affiliated Fars News Agency reported the creation of a new body called the “Defense Council.”
According to the report, published on Friday, August 1, the Defense Council has been established “with strategic missions in the field of the country’s defense policies,” and is described as a key part of a broader “new governance arrangement” in Iran regime’s defense and security sectors. The structure of the new council is reportedly still being finalized.
This announcement follows earlier speculation about sweeping changes at the top of Iran regime’s security hierarchy. On July 28, Nournews—a media outlet close to the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC)—hinted at upcoming institutional reforms. “News received by Nournews indicate that after the necessary grounds have been provided and structural reforms have been made, the possibility of imminent changes at the level of some high-security institutions has increased,” the outlet wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The message offered no details but foreshadowed what now appears to be a regime-wide security reshuffle.
A Council Not for the People—But for the Regime
Despite its name, the new “Defense Council” is not intended to defend the Iranian people or national territory. Its real mission appears to be the preservation of the regime itself, particularly against rising threats from within. After suffering unprecedented intelligence failures during the war, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s trust in his senior military and IRGC commanders has visibly eroded.
Instead of addressing the root causes of these failures—corruption, incompetence, and the infiltration of Iran regime’s security services by foreign intelligence agencies—the regime is opting to shuffle loyalists and reinforce the same dysfunctional structures. The issue is not the lack of a new council or administrative body. The real problem lies in the regime’s deeply entrenched rot: decades of systemic corruption, political inefficiency, and brutal repression have hollowed out its capacity to adapt and respond effectively to crises.
To make matters worse, the regime is now grappling with the additional problem of finding replacements for high-ranking commanders killed in the war. This loss has created a leadership vacuum that no new bureaucratic reshuffle can easily fill. Moving a few trusted figures into new roles will not compensate for the widening gap in the regime’s internal stability and strategic capability.
Larijani’s Return and the Power Shuffle
Fars News also reports that Ali Larijani, a longtime advisor to Khamenei and former SNSC Secretary, is expected to be reinstated in that role in the coming days. Larijani, once sidelined in the regime’s power struggles, has reemerged recently—particularly following the war with Israel.
Meanwhile, current SNSC Secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian is reportedly being reassigned to “several special and strategic cases,” according to Fars. This transition, far from a sign of healthy governance, reflects the regime’s internal fragmentation and desperate search for trusted operatives who can shore up its shaky foundations.
Ali Saeedi, head of the Supreme Leader’s political-ideological office, confirmed the regime’s crisis mindset in a speech on Friday. “After recent events, we must reconsider our security defense system and border protection, and increase our intelligence capabilities,” he said, adding, “We must be able to act effectively against the most powerful defense and security systems. This is of utmost importance.”
Escalating Repression at Home
In what appears to be a panicked response to perceived threats, the regime has stepped up its crackdown on civilians and even foreign nationals, accusing them of “infiltration” and “espionage.” Arbitrary arrests have surged in recent weeks, with security forces targeting both dissidents and those simply suspected of contact with foreign entities.
This wave of repression has drawn sharp international condemnation. On July 4, a group of independent UN experts issued a statement expressing grave concern over Iran regime’s post-war crackdown. “Post-conflict situations must not be used as an opportunity to suppress dissent and increase repression,” the experts warned.
They also criticized proposed legislation in Iran’s Parliament that would classify intelligence-sharing with so-called “hostile governments” as “corruption on earth”—a charge punishable by death under Iranian law. “Criminalizing the sharing of information in broad language violates the rights to freedom of expression and information,” the UN experts stated. “This legislation also represents a worrying expansion of the death penalty that violates international human rights law.”
They concluded with a stark warning: “Iran must not allow history to repeat itself by resorting to the same dark patterns of repression that have devastated its people in previous post-conflict periods.”
Same Playbook, Different Names
The creation of the Defense Council is not a sign of renewal. It is a symptom of regime panic—an authoritarian state retreating into its own shadow structures as legitimacy collapses and internal cracks widen. Rebranding its security apparatus and rotating loyal operatives may offer short-term control, but it will not fix the systemic decay at the heart of the Iranian regime.
In the end, this is not about defense. It is about survival. And the regime knows it is running out of time.
