Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf

Rule Changes

Holds firm on seven conditions for reopening

Iran's parliament has still not voted on the bill that would write its Strait of Hormuz rules into law, and no date is set. On October 29, the Revolutionary Guard said three tankers caught fire after hitting mines in the strait; Iran's armed forces put the number at four. US Central Command denied that commercial ships were hitting mines in the main transit lanes.

Updated 2 days ago

Force in Play

Mojtaba Khamenei's designation ended Qalibaf's succession bid; remains Speaker of Parliament

Three U.S. carrier strike groups are in the region, and the Theodore Roosevelt group, with about 10,000 more personnel, is due by late November. On November 7 the U.S. military launched a task force meant to stop Iran moving weapons and other material overland, Al Jazeera reported.

Updated 3 days ago

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Threatening preemptive strikes on U.S. and Israeli targets

The Iranian rial lost half its value in six months, prompting merchants—the same traders who toppled the Shah in 1979—to shut down Tehran's Grand Bazaar on December 28. Within two weeks, the strike became the largest uprising since the Islamic Revolution; credible estimates range from 500 to 3,000 dead after a five-day internet blackout, with the IRGC firing live ammunition on crowds.

Updated May 20