Mojtaba Khamenei

Force in Play

Supreme Leader of Iran (designate); consolidating power amid military collapse and humanitarian crisis; praised Hezbollah for supporting Iran's war effort

Operation Epic Fury, launched jointly by the United States and Israel on February 28, 2026, has escalated dramatically into its third week with expanded targeting, regional escalation to Gulf state civilian infrastructure, and the first significant fracture within the Trump administration's national security apparatus. By March 17, the campaign had struck more than 15,000 Iranian targets using precision munitions, destroyed over 20 Iranian naval vessels including the country's top submarine, and killed 49 senior Iranian regime leaders including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. On March 13, US forces executed a large-scale precision strike on Kharg Island—Iran's critical oil export hub—destroying 90+ military targets including naval mine storage facilities and missile bunkers while deliberately preserving oil infrastructure as a strategic warning. Iran has retaliated with ballistic missiles and drones across the Persian Gulf region, killing at least 13 American service members and escalating attacks on non-US targets in neighboring Gulf states, including fatal strikes on Abu Dhabi and drone attacks near Dubai's airport and Fujairah Oil Industry Zone. On March 17, Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, became the first senior Trump administration official to resign over the war, stating Iran "posed no imminent threat" and that the US entered the conflict "due to pressure from Israel." The operation represents the largest sustained US aerial campaign in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq invasion, but now faces mounting questions about its legal basis, military end state, and whether an air war can achieve the administration's promise of "freedom for Iran."

Updated 1 hour ago

Built World

Backs Hormuz control as leverage; threatens new fronts

Entering its third week, the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has pushed Brent crude to $104.22 per barrel as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to Western shipping. President Trump is preparing to announce an international coalition to escort commercial vessels through the strait, with the White House signaling the announcement could come as soon as this week. However, Energy Secretary Chris Wright acknowledged on March 15 that the U.S. military is not yet ready to begin escort operations, stating 'It'll happen relatively soon, but it can't happen now. We're simply not ready.' Japan released 80 million barrels from strategic reserves on March 16, and the IEA projects an 8-million-barrel-per-day production decline for March. U.S. gasoline averages $3.70 per gallon after jumping more than 70 cents since the operation began.

Updated Yesterday

Force in Play

Supreme Leader of Iran (2026–present); made first public statement March 12 vowing to maintain Hormuz blockade and avenge martyrs

The Strait of Hormuz remains under effective Iranian control as new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vows to maintain the blockade as 'leverage' and urges Gulf states to expel U.S. bases. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continues coordinated attacks on commercial shipping, stranding over 1,000 vessels worth $25 billion in the Persian Gulf; Iraq has halted 1.5 million barrels per day of production, QatarEnergy's LNG facilities are offline, and Saudi Aramco cut output by 20% to 8 million barrels per day as storage overflows. A March 14 drone attack caused fire at UAE's Fujairah port, partially suspending operations at this key oil hub outside the strait.

Updated 3 days ago

Force in Play

Named Supreme Leader after father's assassination; issued first public address March 12

In thirteen days of US-Israeli military strikes on Iran, up to 3.2 million people have fled their homes without leaving the country. The United Nations refugee agency reported on March 12 that between 600,000 and one million Iranian households abandoned Tehran and other major cities for northern provinces and rural areas, marking one of the fastest mass internal displacements in modern conflict.

Updated 5 days ago

Force in Play

Newly installed after father's assassination

Iran became the first non-host nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. A year later, it became the first qualified nation in the modern era to pull out for political reasons. Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali announced on state television that Iran will not participate in the tournament hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico—three months after a joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and devastated the country's military infrastructure.

Updated 5 days ago

Force in Play

Named successor to his father

For more than four decades, US embassies in the Middle East and Africa have faced bombings, sieges, and missile strikes. None has been attacked in Western Europe — until an incendiary device detonated at the entrance of the US Embassy in Oslo at 1:00 a.m. on March 8, shattering windows and sending smoke into the street. No one was injured. Norwegian police say terrorism is one hypothesis under investigation, and they are weighing whether the blast is connected to the eight-day-old US-Iran war.

Updated Mar 8

Force in Play

Selected by Assembly of Experts under IRGC pressure; legitimacy disputed

Iran's Supreme Leader controlled both the presidency and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for over four decades. Eight days after a joint United States-Israeli airstrike killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that unified chain of command has visibly fractured: President Masoud Pezeshkian announced a halt to strikes on neighboring countries and personally apologized to Gulf states for hitting their civilian infrastructure, only for the IRGC to strike a U.S. air base in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) hours later and issue a statement telling the public to 'ignore Pezeshkian's words during the war.'

Updated Mar 8