An "ultra-hawk" Ousted Under Ali Khamenei Has Taken Charge Of The Militia In Iran
- 27.08.2026, 18:18
From 2009 to 2022, he headed the IRGC's intelligence unit.
Former head of intelligence for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Hossein Taeb, who was removed from this position by Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and had been in political isolation, has now returned to power under the new Supreme Leader—he has taken the helm of the Basij militia. This was reported by The Financial Times and Bloomberg.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei appointed Taeb as commander-in-chief of the Basij militia by decree in August. Taeb had previously held this position from 2007 to 2009. From 2009 to 2022, he headed the IRGC’s intelligence service.
According to the FT, Taeb’s appointment signifies that the Iranian authorities are turning “to one of the most feared security officials” to strengthen control within the country. Analysts consider his appointment one of Mojtaba Khamenei’s most significant personnel decisions. The Supreme Leader stated that Iran’s “new needs and conditions” require him to “deepen and expand the culture of the Basij.” According to the newspaper, this includes expanding the Basij’s presence in Iran, a move analysts have interpreted as a step toward intensifying surveillance and facilitating the suppression of future protests.
An unnamed reformist politician, who was in prison when Taeb headed the Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence service, told the FT that his close relationship with Mojtaba Khamenei dates back decades. “This is more of a personal appointment than a political one. Even if there were no war, he would still have been given a high-ranking position,” he said.
“Under the current circumstances, he was the best person for the job—he knows how to deal with internal threats. Iran is preparing for a change in the nature of the war. American, Israeli, and British intelligence agencies will try to weaken us from within. We must be prepared,” an Iranian source close to hardliners—who had previously criticized Taeb—told the FT.
The war has given the “Basij” “new energy,” the FT emphasizes: armed volunteers are now authorized to begin defending the Islamic Republic “right from their own doorsteps,” without seeking permission from their commanders. “The Basij is moving toward greater coordination to play a more significant role in security during any future crisis. The movement will have more authority and will become more mobile,” said Said Leylaz, an economist and political analyst from Tehran .
“The U.S. has taken advantage of the blockade [of Iranian ports] and hopes that this will ultimately force people onto the streets. Taeb’s appointment ‘sends a signal to the enemy, <�…> that it should not count on internal unrest, because now a madman is at the helm,’ said a relative of Taeb by marriage, who is also close to the Iranian political establishment.
Taeb’s relative also called him an “ultra-hawk” who “listens to no one.” “But that doesn’t mean the ultra-hawks are taking over the country’s future,” he assured.
Iran claims that the “Basij” is capable of mobilizing up to 20 million people—one-fifth of the country’s population, according to Bloomberg. Its members operate in mosques, workplaces, and universities across the country. In addition, they have been deployed to disrupt public gatherings and brutally suppress demonstrations, the agency notes. For example, in January, security forces, including the Basij, killed hundreds of people during the largest unrest in the history of the Islamic Republic. Diplomats and analysts view Taeb’s appointment as head of the militia as a mandate to transform the organization into “Khamenei’s eyes and ears on the streets,” Bloomberg reports.