TEHRAN – The Leader of the Islamic Revolution has signaled a major shift in Iran's military posture, with a senior adviser warning that the strategy to move to an offensive phase if conditions are not met will "undoubtedly change the equations of power in the world."

Muhammad Mokhber, an adviser and aide to Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, made the remarks in a post on his personal page Thursday, linking the strategy to developments surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and the failure of the United States to protect its allies in the Persian Gulf.

"The definite strategy of the Leader to make the war offensive if Iran's conditions are not fulfilled will undoubtedly change the equations of power in the world," Mokhber wrote.

On April 30, in a statement marking Persian Gulf Day, Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran was entering a new phase in its approach to the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. 

"Today, two months after the largest military deployment and aggression by the world's bullies in the region, and the United States' disgraceful defeat in its plans, a new chapter is unfolding for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz," the Leader said in the statement.

He said Iran would secure the Persian Gulf and eliminate abuses of the waterway, adding that "new management of the strait will bring comfort and progress for the benefit of all the nations of the region."

Against that background, Mokhber said Iran's next step would depend on whether its conditions were met. Tehran's conditions include an end to threats and insults against Iran; a permanent end to the war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen and Iraq; an end to the U.S. naval blockade and withdrawal of U.S. naval and air forces; payment of compensation for damage caused by the two wars of aggression; the lifting of U.S. sanctions; and the unconditional release of Iran's frozen assets.

Mokhber further said that the United States' inability to protect its allies in the Persian Gulf has created the basis for a new regional security arrangement independent of Washington. 

"With the inability of the United States to protect its allies in the Persian Gulf, the most sustainable way for a new order in the region is the implementation of the economic-security mechanism of Hormuz, independent of Washington's military guarantees," he wrote.

The Leader's strategic shift comes alongside a series of major military appointments. In a series of decrees, Ayatollah Khamenei named Major General Ahmad Vahidi as the IRGC's chief commander, promoted him to the rank of major general, and appointed Major General Ali Abdollahi as chief of staff of the Armed Forces. Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari was appointed deputy chief of staff, Hossein Taeb as head of the Basij Organization, Brigadier General Ali Ozamaei as commander of the IRGC Navy, and Major General Mostafa Izadi as deputy commander-in-chief of the IRGC.

Vahidi vowed to spare no efforts to fulfill the Leader's demands of the Armed Forces. In a message to Abdollahi, he emphasized "the IRGC's full and comprehensive readiness to cooperate, create synergies, and engage constructively" with the general staff to implement the Leader's directives and enhance the country's defense and security preparedness.

He also vowed to "make resistance against Zionist-American arrogance and realization of the slogan 'A Strong and United Iran' the IRGC's guiding principle."

President Masoud Pezeshkian congratulated the appointments, emphasizing the need for stronger coordination among the armed forces and the development of defense and technological capabilities. 

He said Iran's strength depends not only on its defense capabilities but also on greater unity and coordination among the armed forces and the use of scientific expertise and modern defense capacities.

The president underscored the importance of cooperation between the government and the IRGC in serving the Iranian people, saying greater solidarity and cooperation among state institutions and the armed forces are necessary to navigate the current sensitive circumstances.