Ali Shamkhani, adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. (Credit: AFP archive photo)
As tensions between Tehran and Washington enter a new phase of confrontation, Iran has chosen to bring back a familiar figure to project institutional continuity. On Feb. 5, Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was appointed head of the National Defense Council, a body officially reinstated on Aug. 3, 2025.Behind this move, however, Shamkhani’s return raises a more subtle question: does it signal shifts within Iran’s establishment — and is Shamkhani emerging as a kingmaker inside Iran?Shamkhani’s positioningOriginally created during the Iran – Iraq war before later being dissolved, the body was revived in the aftermath of the 12-day war in June 2025 to strengthen coordination between political and security institutions in wartime. More on the dynamics The liminal space between the path of diplomacy and military...
As tensions between Tehran and Washington enter a new phase of confrontation, Iran has chosen to bring back a familiar figure to project institutional continuity. On Feb. 5, Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was appointed head of the National Defense Council, a body officially reinstated on Aug. 3, 2025.Behind this move, however, Shamkhani’s return raises a more subtle question: does it signal shifts within Iran’s establishment — and is Shamkhani emerging as a kingmaker inside Iran?Shamkhani’s positioningOriginally created during the Iran – Iraq war before later being dissolved, the body was revived in the aftermath of the 12-day war in June 2025 to strengthen coordination between political and security institutions in wartime. More on the dynamics The liminal space between the path of diplomacy and...
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